Marinette and Her Chaton
by Miraculous-Content
Summary: Marinette had just about everything she wanted in life: amazing parents, two great friends, and the creative mind to bring her designs to life. The only problem? Adrien's not around anymore. However, she may find that he's closer than she thinks when she meets a humanoid cat beast in a castle deep within the forest. (Beauty and the Beast AU)
1. Chapter 1 - Marinette, the Outcast

_She'd heard stories. Stories about the boy who lived in the mansion. Stories about the boy's father, cold and stern. She'd heard rumors. Rumors about neglect. Rumors about rebellious behavior._

 _The boy was just that: a boy, no older than ten. Adrien Agreste was his name._

 _And apparently, he died._

 _Six years later, and she still didn't want to believe it._

* * *

The shop windows flew open as she walked along the path, people smiling and waving.

"Good morning, Marinette!"

"Good morning!" she greeted, waving back. Her sketchpad was held tightly to her chest, quills and ink wells in a jar that was wrapped around her waist. She was Marinette.

She was the seamstress. The clutz. The bakery daughter. The one that had so much love in her heart that there weren't enough people in the world to spread it to.

And the weirdo, who almost everyone was nice to, but almost no one got within arm's distance of. The one who didn't let such things bother her, and was considered even weirder for doing do.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

Marinette halted, not even bothering to let her sigh stay mental. She turned, facing a blond girl who wore enough make-up for an entire kingdom. Her hair was tied back, her icy blue eyes boring into Marinette's. Her white-and-black striped dress was complimented by a yellow jacket and belt that served no actual purpose; it was only there to look good. Marinette didn't say it, but it was a nice allegory for the blond's presence.

"What do you want, Chloe?" she asked instead, her chipper voice replaced with one that was tired.

"You're in my way," Chloe responded, pointing over Marinette's shoulder. Marinette raised a brow, looking around to see that there was _perfectly good_ walking space to her left and right.

Sabrina—Chloe's orange-haired lackey—poked out from behind her, adjusting her glasses. "The _center_ of the path is for Chloe and I."

"That's right, so step off, _freak,_ " Chloe said, making a 'shoo' gesture.

Marinette knew Chloe didn't care about anyone but herself; well, herself and Sabrina. She had a heart somewhere, but it was reserved for very few people.

The 'freak' comment didn't even bother Marinette, honestly. It was natural for people to raise brows at a girl who refused to wear dresses, and she was far too used to it to be affected.

She knew she shouldn't move. She should glare Chloe down. She should stand her ground. She should demand that Chloe walk around if she wanted to go somewhere so badly. Chloe wouldn't touch her—she would be too afraid to catch 'the weird'—so all Marinette had to do was refuse to leave that spot.

And yet, without a word, she stepped out of the way, a voice in her head screaming as Chloe and Sabrina laughed and walked past her. That was the norm; having all the means to do something about her situation but never actually _doing_ it.

Marinette, the pushover.

She left the village, going to the only place she could experience true quiet. A small hill with a tree at the top, which rested before a wide open landscape of streams, birds, and a forest. It was easily the most beautiful sight the village had to offer.

Marinette sat in front of the tree and leaned back. She'd gone here so much, it almost felt like she'd worn out the side of the tree, and leaning into it felt so natural, as if she belonged there. She skimmed through her sketchpad, looking for an open page. Her hand then moved to the jar around her waist, screwing the top off and pulling out a single quill and ink well.

Dipping the quill inside the ink, she began to draw the outline of a dress. Her creativity sparked as soon as quill met paper, and she drew out how she felt.

Her frustration took the form of sharp, jagged lines, thick and relentless. Her joy became smooth, curved lines, light and cheerful. Her loneliness turned into dots, lining areas of the dress that no one would normally look at.

She breathed. Though the ink was a simple black color, she could see the colors between the lines. She could trace them with her hand and compare them to things that people would immediately understand.

Chiffon white, lemon yellow, apricot orange, and apple red. They blended together and formed a sunrise that only _she_ could see.

"Marinette?"

"E-EEP!"

Marinette flailed, snapping out of her trance as she jerked her head over. Alya, her best and only friend, stood at her side, hunched over with a small smirk.

"Girl, you _gotta_ stop zoning out like this."

Marinette blushed, averting her gaze. "I-it's how I get my best ideas."

Alya laughed, taking a seat next to her, not caring about how dirty her blue dress got. She shrugged her shoulders, nearly stretching the fabric of a plaid jacket that she'd clearly had for a few years too many. "If you say so."

She leaned over, eyeing Marinette's sketchpad. Marinette swallowed, but knew she could trust Alya, so she tilted the sketchpad in her general direction. Alya smiled, clearly seeming to like it.

"Not bad. Now if only you could stop staring out at the sky with that look of yours."

"T-that look?" Marinette echoed.

Alya snorted. "You know, _this..._ " The back of her hand went to her forehead as she dramatically threw herself over Marinette's lap. She cried out in a _terrible_ impression of Marinette's voice, "Oh, won't the boy of my dreams someday return to my side! Until then, I can't bring myself to carry on!"

Marinette managed a smile, but it faded as she looked back out at the landscape. Alya pushed herself back into a sitting position, then sighed, putting a loving arm around Marinette's shoulder.

"You can't go on like this. It's been what? Five years?"

"Six," Marinette corrected gently.

"See, that's what I'm talking about! I know you don't want to admit it, but Adrien's _gone!_ You gotta get over him..."

Marinette sighed, gripping her sketchpad tightly. "I _can't._ He was the first and only crush I've ever had."

"Then find a new crush!" Alya encouraged. "You're cute, you're smart, and there are plenty of guys here—"

"It's not that easy!" Marinette retorted. "Adrien was... Adrien was _more_ than just a crush! He..."

She trailed off, sighing again. "He was _special._ I never would've found my love for fashion if it weren't for him. He was kind, funny, and didn't deserve whatever happened to him. I can't just forget him."

Alya frowned sympathetically. It was always like this, and Alya never stopped trying, even though she understood that Marinette just didn't have the capacity to stop loving someone. Her heart was too big for that.

Alya exhaled, then smoothed out one of Marinette's pigtails before giving her a gentle nuzzle. "I know..."

Marinette didn't respond, remaining still until she felt Alya's warmth leave her side. She glanced over.

She was alone again, or at the very least, _felt_ alone. The sounds of the landscape faded from her ears, seeming even more distant than before.

Idly, she thought, _Might as well keep sketching..._

* * *

"Maman! Papa!" Marinette greeted gently as she entered the bakery.

Her parents were hard at work, as always, Sabine at the counter while Tom ran around the bakery with an spectacular speed for such a large man. Though the bakery made more than enough money as it was, Tom and Sabine loved the bustle of the bakery during the busier hours. There was a certain energy between them—a _spark_ —that Marinette could always appreciate. No one in the village could deny that her parents had a deep emotional connection that transcended the typical standards of marital love, and Marinette could even see it in the lingering touches as Tom passed Sabine a box to give to one of the customers, their hands lingering.

They offered Marinette a look and a smile, before getting right back to work.

As Marinette started to walk on by, Sabine turned. "Did you get any good inspiration today, dear?"

"Mhm!" Marinette lifted her sketchpad for emphasis, though didn't turn the page to her current sketch; it was a work-in-progress, after all.

She blushed. "Also, Alya is still wearing that jacket I made her."

Tom laughed from a distance, amused. "And you're surprised? You made it so well."

"I-it wasn't made to be worn for so long though!" Marinette protested, flushing harder at the praise. They might as well have thrown her in with the rest of the cooked pastries, her burning cheeks having baked her to doneness.

Sabine giggled, looking back over the counter for just a moment to ensure that no one else needed her attention. "Alya certainly seems to think it was."

Marinette tried to pout, to show how displeased she was with her parents' teasing, but seeing the way Tom and Sabine got right back to business, Tom even being so bold as to bend over and kiss Sabine's cheek as he passed her a croissant, Marinette didn't have it in herself to be mad.

She smiled, walking away and saying her usual lines of "I'm going up to work on my next project" and "call me if you need me." It was standard, though her parents never needed her assistance. They were a perfect pair if she'd ever seen one.

She entered her room, the whites and blues of morning replaced with the oranges and reds of the afternoon. Marinette cast a gaze at her sketchpad, humming to herself as she recalled her sunset dress. She'd drawn it during the morning; would it have been better to wait?

Probably not. Part of the fun was her own imagination. If the sunset had already been there, her dress design would've looked exactly like any normal sunset. It wouldn't be her own style.

She flipped the sketchpad to the particular page, then closed the window, even pulling the curtains to ensure that she couldn't see the world's standard sunet. Her sunset would be _hers_ and hers _alone._

She sat down and started to work, the hours skating by as if they were minutes. Every stitch felt like both nothing and everything; it all mattered in the end, yet it went by so quickly. She was so invested in her work that she didn't even notice the shop close. Tom and Sabine already knew it would be pointless to insist that she sleep; they knew their daughter. Marinette knew them too, and loved that they were accepting regardless of what she did.

Because she had closed the curtains, she couldn't see the evening sky, and all sense of bedtime went by.

In the end, she ended up falling asleep at the table.

* * *

Marinette's dreams were simple yet complicated. She dreamt of pastries, which led to her parents. Of Tom's terrible pastry puns and Sabine's giggles. She dreamt of colors, ones that she hadn't even thought about that day. Cobalt blues and emerald greens.

And of course, she dreamt of fabric. Dancing fabric, weaving together in unnatural but beautiful patterns, forming the dress she would wear; just once, for the occasion. Then, Adrien would return, take her hand, and—

She did _not_ recall ever hearing a rattling noise in her dreams.

Marinette stirred, an uneasy groan escaping her as she opened her eyes halfway. She searched for the sound, her head still swimming from not being awake enough.

As her eyes fell upon the window, she remembered that she had closed it. It was easy to remember, as the room had been so dark. The curtains remained as the were, keeping out so much of the evening moonlight. Yes, the only light she could see would be the two green ones that almost seemed pointed in her general direction.

Marinette stared at the lights groggily. Did she always have those?

The lights appeared to grow closer to her. They turned downwards, towards the table. Towards her _sketchpad._

Her sketchpad was falling off the table, pulled by a presumably invisible force. Marinette couldn't tell; it was dark and she was tired.

She reached for it with a slow hand. The sketchpad left the table, but never met with the ground. Instead, it levitated. Marinette tried to grab it again—a delayed reaction—but it was pulled out her reach. The green lights went with the sketchpad, floating over to the window.

Her sketchpad was leaving. Wait, no, someone—some _thing_ —was taking it.

 _Now_ Marinette was awake.

"H-hey!"

She stood up with a start, and the black figure—so easily camouflaged by the darkness and only given away by its green eyes—moved more quickly, escaping out the window. Marinette _swore_ it snickered at her.

She dashed to the window, pulling the curtains open fully. She could see her sketchpad, and against the varying colors of the hours, she could see the black _thing_ still carrying it.

Marinette sped downstairs without a second thought, opening and closing doors so fast that you'd think she was trying to break them.

She got outside and gave chase.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Cat's Home is His Castle

Marinette felt the heaving of her chest. The shortness of her breath. The cool evening air forcing itself against her as she ran, like it was trying to stop her at any cost.

Even the forest itself tried to halt her progress. The tiny thief she was chasing was small, needing little effort to weave through the branches.

Marinette wasn't so lucky. The trees had less and less leaves as she went onwards, making her swats at the branches much more aggressive. She ducked and spun as required, a few branches scratching her forearms as she went.

That sketchpad was her _life._ She had so many untouched and unsown designs in it.

So many _memories;_ memories she used to create her best creations.

No one was going to take it from her.

As she ran, the trees began to clear, a castle coming into view. It was large, not quite new, but also not quite old either.

The black creature, still carrying Marinette's sketchpad, flew right over the gates. Marinette, burning with adrenaline, charged at the gates, ready to climb over. She jumped and grabbed the bars, forcing her weight onto one of the gates.

Unexpectedly, the gate flew open for her, throwing Marinette off balance and sending her to the ground. The landing was rough, but she was quick to recover, already used to falls due to her clumsy nature. She jerked her head up, trying to find the little black thief as soon as possible.

It was gone, but Marinette's sharp eyes noted the front doors, one of them having creaked open. She scrambled to her feet, the soles of her shoes skidding against the rocky pavement.

She pushed open the door with a bit of effort, not sparing a thought that someone might actually _own_ the place.

However, when she looked around the massive room, the black creature was gone, Marinette's only company being the echo of her own panting.

She hunched over, hands against her legs as she tried to control her breathing. Her throat was dry, but after a few steady swallows of saliva, she felt well enough to continue. It was only now that she noticed the cuts from the branches earlier. She supposed she hadn't noticed due to the rush of adrenaline and made a mental note to take care of them later.

 _Okay,_ she thought idly, _so I woke up to some little thing stealing my sketchpad. Then, I went all the way through the forest, found a castle, and now I'm here with no idea of where to go._

She paused, then joked to herself optimistically, _Well, Chloe's not here, so that's one plus._

Marinette giggled, though it was a tired one. _She_ was tired.

"Hello?"

Her voice echoed, but there was no response.

Now that she could think more clearly, despite her sketchpad still being the top priority, Marinette could appreciate the look of the castle. It was clean, as if it got a daily scrubbing and dusting everyday, which made it all the more strange that no one was answering her.

Having no other course of action, Marinette traversed the stairs. From the dim lighting, she expected a creak, or one of the stairs to break underneath her and send her falling into some sort of dungeon.

She didn't complain when it failed to happen.

As her feet met with the blue carpet, she put a hand to her ear, listening for _anything_ now that her breathing had quieted _._

It took a moment for her ears to properly hear, but she could hear faint piano music coming from down the hall. She followed it, moving down a couple halls as the music got louder.

As it got loud enough, she peeked around the corner instead, making sure that no one was around; she _was_ technically trespassing, after all.

There was no one, and not even an open door. The music still played.

"...H-hello?" she called again, this time more timidly.

The music stopped, and Marinette could tell from the sour ending note that she had shocked whoever was playing.

A blur of lavender burst _through_ the door, quickly flying off.

"A-ah, wait—!" She reached out, but stopped herself from giving chase, opting to sigh. So there were more than one of those creatures, and they seemed to love running away from her. _That_ certainly made things easy.

She walked forward, examining the door. There wasn't even a hole that the creature had gone through or a hole that they'd created when bursting through.

So why did the black one not just phase through her window? It could've easily come in without waking her up.

...Then again, it _did_ have to take her sketchpad with it.

Marinette groaned, tugging on her pigtails. She wasn't going to get _anywhere_ like this.

She traversed down the hallway. Wandering aimlessly was the worst option she had, but she didn't know what else to do.

And she went to turn down the next hallway, a head peeked out from it.

A tiny head. Red, with antennae, and a large black spot on its forehead.

Marinette jumped, letting out a surprised shriek. The creature flew out towards her, and Marinette made distance immediately, stepping backward with wide eyes.

These little things always ran _away_ from her. What did it mean when it was coming _towards_ her?

And then, to make matters worse, it spoke, "N-no, no! It's okay!"

Its voice was high-pitched, naturally, but it didn't help Marinette's nerves. She stepped back a few more feet, wishing Alya was here. Alya had information on everything.

"L-look, I'm not here to steal anything," Marinette said, hands up as if to ward the creature off. If they could phase through doors, who knew what else they could do. "I just want my—"

"Tikki?"

The creature turned, while Marinette perked up in the direction of the voice.

A voice. A _human_ voice.

"Tikki, was that you screaming? Is everything okay?"

The creature took a glance at Marinette, then looked back, squirming. "U-um, yes! Don't come—"

Marinette dashed forward.

The creature squeaked out, "W-wait!"

Marinette didn't listen. She just wanted to talk to a _normal_ person.

She rounded the corner, but the source of the voice was closer than expected, or maybe she just ran that fast.

She plowed into them, going careening backward. The back of her head hit the wall, causing her to hiss at the pain.

She rubbed her head, groaning, then looked up. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

Her breath hitched. Standing in front of her was the exact _opposite_ of a normal person.

A bipedal cat creature, standing digitigrade, with broad shoulders and claws extending from its fingers. It was probably even taller than Tom and positively _covered_ in black fur.

 _And,_ it was staring at her, just as wide-eyed as she was.

Marinette couldn't even find it in herself to scream.

The two stared at each other for what felt like the longest time, Marinette's blue eyes never leaving the creature's green ones.

And how green they were. Even the sclera was a vivid green, faintly reminding Marinette of the green 'lights' she had seen when she woke up.

She didn't wait for hostility. She didn't wait for kindness. She didn't know what to expect, what to wait for. After all, she was in a castle of creatures she'd never seen before.

The humanoid cat creature swallowed before finally speaking up. "I-I—I'm…" He closed his mouth.

Well, it was a start.

The red creature from before—if Marinette recalled correctly, its name was Tikki—flew between the two, going up to the beast's face.

"Tikki," the cat muttered softly. "Why is—"

"Shh," Tikki hushed. "I'll—um—I'll take care of it, okay?"

Marinette looked between the two, not understanding.

"Wait—" The cat's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Tikki, did you—"

"Shh shh shh!" Tikki hushed again, her tiny paws pressed against the cat's mouth. The cat pouted in response, still looking confused.

Marinette never thought she would relate emotionally to a massive cat creature.

Finally, the cat sighed, taking a nervous—almost apologetic?—look at Marinette before walking off down the hall, heading into one of the rooms.

Tikki breathed, turning back to Marinette and floating down. "I'm _so_ sorry."

Marinette rubbed her temples. She didn't have the time or mental clarity to process this.

She got straight to the point. "O-okay, um… so, I didn't mean to intrude, I swear. That black one? He has my sketchpad. I need it back."

"Plagg—" Tikki stopped herself, furrowing nonexistent brows. "He didn't tell you anything?"

Marinette shook her head.

Wait, what did Tikki mean by that?

Tikki hummed. "Can you come with me?"

Marinette silently wondered if she had a choice. She stood up, following Tikki as the ladybug creature—Marinette made a mental note to ask about what they were called if she ever had the opportunity—down the hallway.

"This way," Tikki instructed, gesturing with her paw every now and then as she led Marinette through the area.

The castle really was beautiful. Marinette took a little more time than before to admire it.

One of the doors in the hall was open, and Tikki soared inside. Though, hesitant, Marinette followed after her.

The door slammed shut the second she entered. Marinette swiveled around, stiffening.

The black creature—Plagg—was hovering above the door, a mischievous smirk on his face.

"That what you're looking for?" He directed a paw towards a bed.

Marinette's sketchpad rested on the pillow. Marinette brightened, rushing for it.

Before she could grab it, Plagg flew in-between her and the sketchpad. "Y'really care about this thing, huh?"

Marinette squinted. Wasn't it obvious?

"...Y-yes," she replied, irked and still slightly confused.

"Fine. Then, if you want it back…"

Plagg flew upwards, throwing his arms outwards in dramatic fashion. "You have to stay here, _forever!_ "

"W-what?!" Marinette was flabbergasted. "Why?"

He suddenly slumped, plopping down on one of the pillows. "Reasons. Hey, did you bring any cheese with you?"

" _...What?_ " Marinette asked flatly.

The door rattled, and Marinette felt ready to _collapse._ She'd had enough surprises and new faces today.

Still, she glanced over. The door opened, the cat from earlier standing in the doorway.

He leaned against the frame, staring at Tikki and Plagg with suspicion. "I figured you two might be up to something."

"W-wait!" Tikki flew up to the cat, waving her arms in loud gestures. "You don't understand. We just wanted to—"

"I know." The cat's gaze fell noticeably. He looked at Marinette. "I-I'm sorry. That yours?"

Marinette looked back at her sketchpad, then nodded eagerly.

"Plagg."

"But—!"

The cat glared, though Marinette noted that it didn't quite fit with his face.

Plagg rolled his eyes, then grabbed hold of the sketchpad, flying reluctantly over to Marinette and holding it out.

Marinette took it immediately, pressing it to her chest and exhaling with relief. All the pages—her _designs_ —were all back with her.

"Is it okay?" the cat asked, concerned.

Marinette checked just to be sure, then nodded gratefully, smiling at the large creature.

He smiled back, though it also looked awkward on his face, albeit nicer than the glare.

"Um... a-are _you_ okay?"

Marinette paused out of surprise, not expecting to be asked. "Y-yeah, I'm okay."

The cat corrected himself, " _Physically?_ "

Oh.

Marinette understood immediately, staring down at her arms, parts of which had been cut by the branches from earlier.

"That looks bad," he commented with a cringe. "Come on, I'll get that fixed up for you."

"What?" Marinette looked up. Was this cat _serious?_

She glanced back at Tikki and Plagg, then noted that the cat was walking away, his tail swishing behind him. She felt compelled to follow.

It was certainly a unique experience. The cat was just so _big;_ even when he'd been leaning against the door frame, he was taking up nearly the whole space.

And that fur? Those big eyes? The long cat tail?

"I'm sorry about the kwami," he suddenly said.

Marinette blinked, brought out of her thoughts. "K-kwami?"

"Tikki and Plagg?"

"Oh." Thank goodness she finally had a word for what they were. "Are they—I mean—"

The cat turned his head as he walked, giving her his attention.

"I just don't get what's going on here," Marinette said plainly, gesturing a hand outwards.

"I don't think anyone would," he replied. "It's not that much though. It's just me and the kwami here."

"In this big castle?"

"Yeah." An oddly short answer. Marinette thought it best not to pry, though it was comforting to know that it was just this cat and a bunch of small creatures. She wouldn't have to worry about some monstrous cat-beast parent going after her for being around their son, bent on making her entire bloodline suffer for all eternity due to the simple act of trespassing.

"So… um…" She hesitated. If he really _was_ going to help her, she might as well know. "Do you have a name?"

"...Chat. Chat Noir."

 _Black cat,_ Marinette thought with a small giggle. It certainly wasn't the most creative name, but she couldn't say it didn't fit.

"I'm Marinette." It was only fair.

Chat blinked, surprise on his face, then nodded.

He led her down the stairs. Now that Marinette had more time to process the sights, she noted a living room-esque space to her left with a surprisingly cozy-looking couch resting in front of a fireplace.

Chat gestured to the couch. Marinette walked over, sitting down. Chat remained standing.

"Duusu?" he called, glancing up the stairs. "Duusu! Can you help us out here?"

Marinette eyed Chat, noting that he seemed so awkward just standing there. He'd give an occasional glance at the couch, but seemed nervous.

"Is… everything okay?" she questioned.

"Huh?" Chat's eyes went wide. "Y-yeah, just…"

He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I know I'm…"

Marinette frowned. It was hard to explain, but there was a certain sense of trust with Chat.

She patted the spot next to her. "You can sit down?"

One of Chat's ears flopped to the side, puzzled. After a moment, he nodded, taking a seat next to her. He hunched over, hands folded in his lap as he tried to make himself appear as small as possible.

It wasn't as effective as he was probably hoping.

Marinette heard a sound from upstairs and directed her attention to it. A blur of blue appeared, flying towards the two. As it stopped in front of them, Marinette could see that it was another… _thing,_ like Tikki and Plagg, only with a closer resemblance to a peacock as opposed to a ladybug or a cat.

"Hello, miss. Name's Duusu," it greeted with a bow and a tiny smirk, its voice feminine. She glanced up, offering Marinette a paw. "May I?"

"Um…" Marinette tossed a glance at Chat, who was trying to avoid eye contact, but still gave her a reassuring nod. Marinette hesitated, then held up one of her arms.

Duusu flew towards Marinette's hand, then placed her paws gently on it. Her antennae glowed.

Marinette stiffened, about to pull her hand away when a soothing sensation hit her arm. It was hard to describe, but reminiscent of a steady wave washing over one's arm, the wave itself warm and a texture akin to honey.

It took the appearance of a soft purple light, seeking out Marinette's small injuries and closing them. Marinette gaped, turning her arm every which way, trying to see if the wounds had really vanished.

Duusu did the same with Marinette's other arm, and even flew around to the back of Marinette's head. It only took a simple touch to alleviate the pain.

Marinette felt the back of her head, still stunned, while Duusu flew next to Chat, her tiny chest puffed out proudly.

"Don't worry. I know I'm awesome," she boasted, half smug, half playful.

Chat managed a small smile, and Marinette found it contagious.

"Thanks," Chat said appreciatively. As Duusu left, he sighed.

"I really _am_ sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's probably my fault they brought you here."

He looked so guilty. Marinette couldn't even bring herself to be upset. "N-no, it's okay!"

She continued, "My sketchpad is alright, so it's not a big deal."

"I'm glad it's fine." Chat exhaled with relief.

Marinette nodded, then hugged her sketchpad to her chest, still feeling unsure. "Uh… so, that thing about staying forever…"

Chat looked at her, then shook his head, pushing himself into a stand.

"Well, the way back might be dangerous."

Marinette felt her chest tighten. "O-oh."

"...I'll take you home, if you'd be okay with that?"

"You—"

Marinette was surprised for what must've been the tenth time of her visit. "...You will?"


	3. Chapter 3 - Contrast of Expectations

When Marinette had gotten home, it was still late. The world had still been asleep, as if nothing had changed. Even after she'd gone to bed and woken up, the world moved around her like it hadn't even happened.

But she knew it had. Tom and Sabine had talked about the sound of the doors shutting last night. Even if they hadn't, she'd seen it herself and knew it wasn't some kind of dream.

She could still feel the rush of adrenaline as she chased Plagg. The relief when she got her sketchpad back. The soothing sensation of Duusu's healing. The complete _silence_ as Chat walked her home.

Back in her room, she rubbed her arm, feeling the lack of scratches along it, unable to help wondering exactly what was going on in the castle. She scolded herself, wishing she'd asked for more details.

Thinking back, she supposed she couldn't blame her lack of foresight. She had probably been running on only a few hours of sleep. It made sense that she wouldn't have been at her full mental capacity.

She huffed, sitting up and going over to her tables, setting the sketchpad down and grabbing some charcoal. Her designs always helped clear her mind, sewing together the patches of her unsure state.

Testing her memory, she drew Plagg first, starting with some basic shapes to get the proportions right before drawing the real deal. She imagined a belt, with Plagg's whisker-like antennae hanging off the side, a clip on the ends in case anyone wanted to hang something off of them.

Plagg's voice echoed in her head, _"You have to stay here,_ forever! _"_

The _nerve_ of that kwami. Marinette drew a few irked scribbles around Plagg's picture for emphasis of how frustrating he was, stealing her sketchpad and then trying to make deals about it!

She breathed, remembering what Chat told her.

" _It's probably my fault they brought you here."_

More irked scribbles. _No, it's not. You looked as surprised as I was when we saw each other._

She sighed, drawing Tikki next to Plagg. Tikki was more difficult, more complicated, but Marinette could see the design flowing together.

A hat, glistening white with a ladybug-patterned band. It'd flow in the wind, with two similarly-patterned strings hanging down to tie around one's neck, keeping the hat from flying off.

" _You don't understand. We just wanted to—"_

Wanted to _what?_

Marinette wracked her brain, tapping the charcoal against the paper. Whatever they _thought_ Chat wanted, he obviously didn't want at all. At least, he didn't seem to.

Her hand moved to draw once more. Her lines were rough but became more consistent as she drew.

She drew two pointy ears above the shape she'd made for Chat's head. Chat's fur was, well, furry, and thus more complicated to draw.

But Marinette never forgot a face. The eyes, the nose, and the hint of fangs whenever he opened his mouth; those were all easy. It was like reciting a poem she'd already read a hundred times.

No design followed this time however, as Marinette's mind was wandering again.

" _It's not that much though. It's just me and the kwami here."_

Marinette remembered that castle. That big, huge, _massive_ castle. She'd met three kwami and possibly saw one more if that lavender blur wasn't some weird illusion caused by sleep deprivation.

She knew she hadn't been everywhere, but there couldn't be _that_ many kwami. Even if there were a lot, they were _tiny little things._ Compared to Chat... well, there _was_ no comparison! He might as well have been—

...the only one in that house. _Oh._

Before Marinette could think on the matter any further, a scent wafted from downstairs, trying to pull her away from her own thoughts. Her parents must've been making lunch.

She breathed up, mentally calling herself crazy as she shut the sketchpad, getting up to head downstairs.

"Papa! Maman! Do we have any leftovers from yesterday?"

* * *

In Chat's castle, now Marinette-less, an argument was taking place. Chat sat patiently at the table in the dining room, while Plagg was flying about, emphasizing his frustration.

"I can't even _believe_ this." Plagg got in Chat's face and threw his tiny arms up into the air. "You sent her _home?!_ "

Chat sighed, not having to look at Plagg to know that Plagg was glaring at him. "I had to."

"No, you didn't!" Plagg argued, groaning and covering his face with his paws. "We went through all that to get you a human friend, but you just… gave her up?!"

Chat had a hard time being angry. He knew that Plagg only had the best intentions.

Still…

"It's not right. She's not _like_ me, Plagg. She's got a real home to go back to."

"How do _you_ know?" Plagg challenged.

Chat leaned forward, one arm on the table as he raised a brow, _daring_ Plagg to challenge him again. "Does she?"

Plagg floated backward, the anger in his expression fading. He looked away, voice lowering. "...She does."

Chat nodded. He'd thought so. "You can't take someone away like that. Tikki's got an excuse, but you _know better,_ Plagg."

Plagg huffed, offended at that. "Oh, _come on!_ With all the years you've spent here, you don't think you deserve to have a _single_ friend?"

Chat tensed, brows furrowing. "T-that's not the point. Besides, you and the other kwami are my friends."

Plagg rolled his eyes so much that Chat thought they might roll out of his head. "Give me a _break!_ Don't think I didn't see how you looked at her. I know you didn't _want_ to give her up!"

Chat's hands curled into fists. Plagg was _right back_ in his face again.

Plagg continued, "You _wanted_ someone more like you, so _why—_ "

" _Because_ , Plagg, I—!"

Chat stopped himself, noting that his shouting had made Plagg recoil. He pursed his lips, then sighed, slumping down on the table and placing a hand on his face.

"Because I know what it's like to be forced into a situation you don't want to be in? My 'dear old dad' made sure to give me a lot of experience there."

Plagg's expression fell as he noted Chat's shimmering eyes.

Chat continued, "I'm already a monster. I don't want to act like one too."

The room became so quiet, and so quickly. At first, Plagg lowered himself to stand on the table, pretending to be distracted by the design of the tablecloth.

Even _that_ didn't last long.

Plagg looked up, frowning. "Don't mope," he demanded. "I can't get mad at you when you mope."

Chat was eyeing the wall, either ignoring Plagg or just not hearing him.

Plagg waited, wondering if maybe there would be a late reaction. There wasn't.

He sighed, giving himself over to the current atmosphere. He crawled over, leaning against Chat's arm. "Sorry."

Chat's ear twitched. Then, breaking up the already broken conversation, there was a knocking sound from another room.

Chat jolted up, straight like a rod. The front door; the sound was coming from the front door.

A creaking noise followed. "Hello?"

Chat jerked his head around, staring blankly at the doors that separated the dining room and main room. He _recognized_ that voice.

Plagg must have as well, floating upwards and giving Chat a skeptical look. "You took her _all_ the way home, right?"

Chat nodded, though hardly listening, as he was already getting up and going over to open the door to the main room.

He opened it just a crack, peeking his head in.

The girl. Marinette. She was awkwardly standing in the doorway, seeming to be looking around for someone.

Her eyes met his. Chat stiffened. Surely he wasn't—

She smiled slightly, bringing a white box into view. Chat could already smell the pastries inside of it. She couldn't have…?

She spoke politely, "I-it's Chat, right? I—uh—" She flushed, holding the box with one hand and rubbing the back of her neck with the other. " _Gosh,_ this is weird, I'm sorry. Just—"

She held the box out. "I thought you might be hungry?"

Chat stared blankly, utterly _speechless._

She came back. She'd been looking for _him._ She brought him something. And most importantly...

 _She seemed happy to see him._


	4. Chapter 4 - Sweet Somethings

Marinette shifted her shoulders, trying to avoid direct eye contact with Chat by staring down at her box. Had she made a mistake? Maybe this was silly.

She noted Chat coming closer at the edges of her vision and stiffened instinctively. She wasn't scared as much as she was nervous. Finding the castle again had _not_ been an easy task, and she'd be eternally embarrassed to find out that it had all been for nothing.

Chat spoke up, "F-for me? Are you sure?"

Marinette peeked upwards, although with her head bowed down, she just ended up staring at Chat's chest. "Is… that okay? I mean, it's mostly just sweets, but..."

Plagg suddenly cut in, flying between the two. Marinette lifted her head, all sense of anxiety fading as she gave an unamused pout.

Plagg eyed the box ravenously. "Did you bring any—"

Without hesitation, Marinette reached in, pulling out a small wheel of cheese, her expression unchanging. Plagg either didn't notice or didn't care, letting out a positively odd squeal of delight. He clung to the cheese like a lifeline and flew off, becoming a blur of black from sheer speed.

"You don't deserve it!" Marinette called after him accusingly, though unsurprisingly received no response.

Chat raised a brow. "You brought him cheese?"

She shrugged. "I figured he wouldn't leave me alone unless I gave him something he wanted."

Chat opened his mouth to respond, then paused, deep in thought. After a moment, he added, "Yeah, you're probably right."

His eyes fell back to the box. "And… the rest is for me? Really?"

Marinette bit her bottom lip, trying to arrange a sentence she swore she had together beforehand, but had become scrambled again. "I figured… we could share it?"

"Share?" The word escaped Chat's mouth like he'd never heard it before. Marinette didn't have the courage to look at his face.

She saw his hand twitch. It moved forward, going to grab hold of the box, but flinched at the last second, as if the slightest touch would turn the box to ashes.

Marinette finally peered up. Chat had a look of conflict on his face: a strong hesitation.

She stared at the floor. _She_ was the one making this weird. If she talked to a normal person like this, they'd think she either hated them or didn't even want to be there and that wasn't the kind of impression she wanted to give _anyone._

Unless it was Chloe. Actually, _especially_ if it was Chloe.

Point being, this cat creature, strange as he may be, had been nothing but nice to her.

She forced herself to meet his eyes. "I have some extra in case the other kwami eat too?"

Now given a proper view of his upper body, she noticed his tense shoulders, which relaxed after a small silence. His gaze was unsure but welcoming, which made sense given his apparent lack of social skills.

He nodded, adding awkwardly, "Yeah, they eat."

A _very_ apparent lack of social skills.

His hand went for the box again, Marinette taking the initiative and placing it in his hand. He held it carefully in both of his clawed hands, and Marinette smiled bemusedly as she saw how small the box looked in his grasp compared to hers.

"How many kwami are there?" she asked, trying to make small talk.

Chat scanned the living room area, walking over to the table. "Seven."

" _Seven?_ " Marinette looked at him disbelievingly. That was _far_ lower than the number she had imagined.

She followed Chat over to the couch, Chat sitting down and setting the box on the table in front of him. Marinette sat down too, though she must've sat too close, as Chat scooted away.

"Yeah. Kwami are special, so there aren't that many of them," he explained, his hands exploring the box.

He paused, then gave a nervous smile to Marinette, either not even able to figure out a simple to-go box or too scared that he'd ruin it with his claws. She obliged, opening the box for him.

A variety of different smells wafted out, and Chat sat up straight as the scents hit him. His ears flickered, and Marinette could see the _want_ in his eyes. The pride of the sweets being from her parents' bakery swelled inside her.

She smiled, feeling the tight atmosphere loosen. She pulled out some napkins from the box, opening three and placing them strategically on the table; one in front of her, one in front of Chat, and the other at the opposite end of the table.

"So, can you just… you know, _call_ the kwami?" she asked, remembering Duusu from yesterday. "Or do you just know when they're nearby?"

When she looked back at Chat, his mouth had been open, possibly from salivating. He shut it, swallowing and looking thoroughly out of it. "Oh! Yeah, uh… they usually keep an ear out for me. Or, uh, an antenna."

He eyed Marinette, as if hoping for a certain reaction, and relaxed further at her amused smile.

Marinette watched as he got up, walking over to the staircase. She sat patiently, starting to pick out some of the pastries inside the box. She had already decided before leaving her house that she'd let Chat have one of each kind.

She placed each pastry neatly on the napkin, pulling apart the less messy pastries into pieces for the kwami.

Just as she was about to look back, Tikki flew into her vision, looking noticeably apologetic. That was all Marinette needed, honestly, so she just smiled and gestured to the napkin of pastry pieces.

Tikki smiled, sitting down on the napkin and picking up a cookie. "I'm glad you came back."

Marinette hoped that Tikki didn't think she was going to stay forever and chose not to clarify on the matter.

Duusu joined Tikki on the napkin, eyes perusing the selection of treats before just picking one at random.

A sweet yet excited voice rang out from behind Marinette. "It's Marinette, right?"

Marinette turned, noting a bee-like kwami floating in front of her. The kwami was cute, feminine, and had large blue eyes.

"I'm Pollen. It's _very_ nice to meet you!" she exclaimed, the floof around her neck seeming to fluff up as she held a paw out for Marinette to shake.

Marinette glanced down at the paw, then back at Pollen, before smiling and shaking the paw with her forefinger and thumb.

"It's nice to meet you too," she greeted with an awkward smile.

Marinette sensed a presence behind her and turned back, seeing a lavender kwami trying to sneak over to the table without her notice. Realizing he'd been caught, he sped over, sitting down on the napkin with his butterfly-esque wings fluttering shyly.

Marinette _never_ forgot a color. "You're the kwami I saw yesterday, right?"

"Um—" He looked away, trying to hide his face.

Marinette smiled softly, respecting his shyness but also adding, "I liked your song."

He glanced up at her, eyes widening with surprise. Though he was clearly attempting to hide it, Marinette noted his smile, a light blush even appearing on his face.

"Thank you."

An orange kwami ungracefully plopped down on the napkin, leaning against the lavender one. "You still play? I thought you'd be rusty by now," he commented.

The lavender kwami flushed deeper. "Y-yes, well..."

Marinette looked between the two, and the orange kwami looked back, probably knowing he was being stared at. His long ears twitched, a fox tail swishing out behind him as he addressed Marinette.

"Trixx," he introduced simply, paw to his chest. "And he's Nooroo. Thanks for the food, Mari."

Trixx shoved a piece of a donut into his mouth, and Marinette was stunned by the sheer amount of _nonchalance_ Trixx possessed. So informal, and so quickly too!

Marinette counted the kwami in her head as Pollen sat down as well. Marinette mentally added Plagg, then turned to the staircase, ready to ask where the seventh kwami was.

Chat was at the staircase, a green turtle-like kwami floating in front of him, looking unsure.

"Wayzz…" Chat sighed. "It'll be okay. You can take a break for a while."

"Are you sure? Chat—" the kwami protested worriedly.

Chat raised a hand. "Really, it's okay. Nooroo and the others are already at the table and everything."

Something about the way Chat had said it must've piqued Wayzz' interest, as the kwami peeked over to look at the table.

Wayzz took one last glance at Chat, then flew over, sitting on the side of Nooroo that wasn't taken up by Trixx. Wayzz and Nooroo split a piece of croissant.

Chat breathed, then walked back over, taking his place on the couch again with visible relief. He stared at his napkin full of goodies, then at Marinette.

"You made a plate for me?"

Marinette nodded. "I wanted to make sure you didn't miss anything."

Chat responded with nothing more than a stunned stare. He looked down at his assortment of pastries, then picked the one closest to him, taking a bite.

His eyes widened, and he swallowed before speaking, "This is _really_ good! Did you make it?"

"Oh, no no!" Marinette almost laughed at the idea. "My parents run a bakery. These are just the leftovers. I mean, I help _sometimes,_ so I might've made _something_ in here, but not much."

Chat nodded, not even caring about the pastries being leftovers, preferring to continue eating them instead. Marinette was surprised to see that, despite his excitement and obvious beastly aura, he ate so politely.

Trixx waved a paw, earning Marinette's attention. "Mari."

Marinette raised a brow. "Yes?"

"So what's a girl like you doing out here again? You're not trying to earn any sort of fancy kwami wishes, hm?"

Marinette blinked. "No?"

She immediately realized that Trixx was joking after she'd said that. "I-I just… came out here because…"

She looked over to her left. Chat seemed to be listening, but was staying out of the conversation.

Deciding that honesty was the best way to go, she continued, "This place just seems so big, you know? I figured it gets lonely here, so…"

Chat's ears perked. He looked over. "You didn't have to—"

"It's okay!" Marinette assured, having seen Chat's retort coming. "Besides…"

She paused. Would it be weird to say that she was fascinated by both Chat and the kwami? Well, certainly _anyone_ would be, but was that an insult?

Marinette shrugged. "I, ah… wasn't doing anything today anyway. I had time."

She idly patted at her knees, feeling thoroughly stared at. She couldn't blame Chat _or_ the kwami really, as she was a normal human in the middle of all these creatures who probably hadn't seen a human in a long time. It must've been weird having her here when they were so used to it just being them.

Truth be told, she'd come for another reason than just wanting to eat with them. She wanted to feel out the situation, and see what Chat and the kwami were like. If she was honest, she was starting to like them, and the castle wasn't half-bad either.

She picked up a macaroon, taking a small bite of it. "Chat?"

Chat awkwardly fumbled with the donut he was eating, surprised to be addressed. He turned to Marinette, tilting his head. "Y-yeah?"

"Would it be okay if I, ah…" Marinette took another small bite of her macaroon, trying to ignore the awkwardness of her question. "came back again sometime? For a visit?"

Chat stared at her blankly, and now the kwami were staring again too. Marinette tried not to _die_ of embarrassment.

"I-it's just, you know, this is a really nice place and you all seem really nice? If you don't want me here, I—"

"No no!" Chat cut in, shaking his head. "I would, I mean, _we_ would…"

Pollen finished, "We'd _love_ to have you here more often! We never get guests!"

Chat flushed, clearly embarrassed to need Pollen's help to finish a simple sentence. He simply nodded, a small smile on his face.

Marinette smiled back, her and Chat taking a simultaneous bite out of their pastries.


	5. Chapter 5 - Chit-Chat

Marinette inspected her supplies: her sketchpad (of course), snacks for Chat and the kwami, and a list of questions she had for them.

She paused, actually _thinking_ about it, then crumbled up the list and tossed it aside. She was curious, as was her nature, but she would not _dare_ let that get in the way of making the others comfortable with her.

Upon consideration, she added some thread and knitting needles to her supplies. Her parents hadn't been very concerned the night she'd wandered off, but the _second_ time she came back with a semi-damaged jacket? Yeah, she hadn't expected to get off scot-free on that one either. It was those blasted trees, honestly.

She raised a finger, pointing to and counting the supplies she gathered. One, two, three...

"Map," she murmured, eyes leaving her supplies as she scanned the table. She fumbled around with various objects, moving them about, then glanced under the table.

Apparently, she'd tossed what she was looking for onto the floor at some point, and took great care in picking it back up to ensure it wasn't crinkled—or at least _more_ crinkled—from that simple action.

Her guide for getting from the village to the castle was rough. Okay, _extremely_ rough. A picture of the village on the bottom ad the castle on top, with a line of charcoal going down the middle, outlining the path in case she'd forget.

Not her best work, but she'd have to make due. She got lucky the first time she traversed the forest on her own, but she imagined it wouldn't last.

She folded up her map and stuffed it into the bag, slinging it over her shoulder. The sunlight was strong today, though it could've just been Marinette. She so rarely got up this early and strongly doubted that any of the stores were open yet.

She couldn't avoid her parents, but she could avoid the suspicions of everyone else if she left before they could see her.

The smell of breakfast cooking hit her the instant she started heading downstairs. Tom and Sabine were moving about, in sync as always, but stopped to give Marinette their attention.

"Good morning," Sabine greeted with a smile.

Marinette smiled back. "Morn—"

"WAIT!" Tom shouted abruptly, raising a hand at her.

Marinette blinked, thoroughly perplexed as Tom rushed past her and up the stairs. He took a glance into her bedroom then looked back down.

"Where's my daughter?!" he asked loudly.

Sabine gave a knowing smile, pointing to Marinette. "Isn't she right here?"

"Nonsense!" Tom proclaimed dramatically. "My daughter's _never_ gotten up this early!"

Marinette gave an unamused pout then smiled. "Papa, can I have an extra serving of breakfast today, to go?"

"Of course you can!" he replied, strolling down the stairs as if he _hadn't_ just performed yet another one of his lame jokes. "Walking extra far today?"

"Yeah." Well, it wasn't _technically_ a lie.

Sabine addressed her, "Just be careful this time, okay? We don't want you coming home all ripped up!"

"I was _fine!_ " After Duusu healed her that first time, at least. "They were just little rips both times!"

They gave her an unsure look but didn't prod any further. Marinette couldn't help feeling a little bad about keeping them out of the loop.

One breakfast and two kisses on the cheek later, Marinette was out of the house, to-go box in hand.

Before she could head off for the woods, she heard a gasp. "Marinette!"

Alya. Marinette stood still as she approached, Nino at her side and looking casual as she knew he always did.

Marinette smiled. Nino was Adrien's best friend long ago, and she wished she'd gotten to know him back then instead of after Adrien had left their lives. He was just such a nice guy, and it was no mystery why Alya befriended the poor guy once Adrien was gone.

"What are you doing up so early, girl?" Alya asked, staring at Marinette almost suspiciously, but with a smile.

Marinette stiffened. She had no witty comeback, instead replying, "I-I don't know. What about you?"

Her eyes trailed downwards, worried that eye contact would give her away. She noted Nino's hand at Alya's waist and reflected enviously on the fact that at least _he_ was doing well after so many years of Adrien being gone.

Alya shrugged at Marinette's question. "My mom makes great food, but there's nothing wrong with a little _Dupain-Cheng_ touch every now and then, y'know?"

Marinette couldn't really argue, though she wasn't approving of Alya delaying her plans. What if Chloe got up early too?

Nino eyed the box in Marinette's hands. "Going far, Mari?"

Marinette nodded. It made sense for Nino to come to the same conclusion as her parents. Though Alya was her best friend, her and Nino had one-on-one conversations often.

Even if most were about Adrien. Alya _did_ always call them her "Adrien-obsessed dorks."

Marinette looked around, looking for any sign that someone might be around to see her.

Alya rolled her eyes, leaning on Nino and looking up at him. "You see what I have to deal with?"

Nino smiled, tightening his grip on her waist, then glanced back at Marinette. "Go ahead. Have fun, okay?"

Marinette grinned sheepishly, bowing politely in thanks before rushing past them.

The mere _thought_ of waking up even earlier just to avoid them too made her feel _exhausted._

* * *

The doors to the castle held a sense of familiarity to Marinette by now. Not a strong sense, but a feeling of being welcomed.

She pushed one of the doors open, poking her head inside to take a look around. It only now occurred to her that it might be too early for Chat and the kwami to be awake.

"Chat?" she called in a hushed tone, letting herself in and shutting the door behind her. If they were asleep, she supposed she could at least get some sketching done.

The large room was dimly lit but bright enough that Marinette could see as long as she focused. Her gaze wandered about the room and eventually settled on the stair railing. The color of the railing was just visible, though a portion was awkwardly cut off from her sight due to a blob of black.

She blinked, wondering if her vision was acting up, then walked closer, squinting.

It took a long moment for her to realize that Chat was sleeping on the railing, curled up and _somehow_ managing to not fall off despite his large size.

Marinette covered her mouth with a hand, stifling a giggle. She had to admit that it was just a little bit cute.

Plus, it gave her an idea for a new outfit. She smiled, silently thanking Chat, then wandered over to the couch. Setting the box down on the table, she leaned onto the couch's arm, skimming the pages of her sketchpad to find a free space to draw.

A striped brightly-colored dress with a black belt across the waist. Perhaps a little fluff for some Chat-like personality?

Marinette hummed, thinking the idea over, then turned her attention back to the box. She sat up, placing her sketchpad in her lap and reaching over.

She hoped dearly that the fork hadn't been jumbled about somehow from her walk here.

Undoing the tie keeping the box from opening, she lifted the top off, a pleasant scent wafting out.

Marinette immediately heard the thump of something heavy hitting the floor. Jerking her head over, she noted Chat now face-down on the floor.

"O-oh gosh. Chat, are you okay?"

He grunted, pushing himself up and shaking himself awake. His nose twitched as he turned to her. "M-Marinette?"

He stood up, walking over groggily. He leaned over the couch then let out a yawn. "Is it late?"

"No, it's early," she corrected. "Sorry for waking you up. _Did_ I wake you up?"

He shook his head. "I just remember…" His eyes drew down to the box on the table. His nose twitched again.

"Oh." Marinette smiled knowingly, picking the box up and offering it to him. "Hungry? I brought it for you."

She giggled at the way Chat stared at her. Was he _really_ still surprised at this point?

He took the box, eyes showing a want but also a hesitation. "You don't have to do this."

"I know." She waved a hand dismissively, assuring him that it was no big deal.

Chat smiled slightly, certainly not complaining, then went around the couch to sit down. Marinette noted that the way he sat didn't match with his size.

Her father was different. He was so loud and excitable. When he sat down on the same couch as another, they'd _always_ notice.

Marinette didn't get that vibe from Chat. He seemed so quiet and withdrawn, like he was constantly repressing himself. He radiated a certain warmth, so it was obvious he was sitting next to her even if she wasn't looking, but only in that one way.

Chat's large hand fumbled with the fork before managing to hold it correctly, reminiscent of a skill only just recalled.

He stabbed a piece of his breakfast, taking a bite before asking, "S-so, you didn't have anything to do?"

His attempt to make conversation was surprising but not unwelcome.

"Well, I mean, I can keep myself busy if I have to," Marinette replied. "I just left early because, ah, I didn't know how secret this place was supposed to be."

Chat glanced at her. Marinette continued sheepishly, "Y-you know, and I didn't want my parents thinking I was crazy for wandering into the woods to go visit a bunch of magic creatures and their magic cat master."

Chat snorted, a bit of amusement in his tone. "I'm not their master, Marinette. We're all friends here. I'm not even magic."

"You're not?" Marinette asked. "Not even a little?"

"You have pretty high standards for cat beasts," he replied, the repression in his tone still there, but a certain playfulness leaking out.

Was he… teasing her? That was good. It meant he was opening up to her, and the idea alone warmed her heart. Usually, it was Alya or Nino who had to get _her_ to open up. Now she could do it for someone else.

Marinette smiled, encouraging him. "If I'm going to be led to a massive castle in the middle of the woods, I expect you to wow me."

Chat swallowed another bite of his food, his posture straightening. "I mean, I could probably do a backflip if you let me?"

"That's a start."

The two smiled at each other. Maybe it was because the kwami weren't around, but being alone helped a lot of the tension ease away.

Marinette eyed the floor, idly swinging her legs back and forth. "So, Chat…"

She paused, considering her options. She _could_ ask him all about himself or the kwami, but was it too soon for that?

The safest option was to give away her own information first. "Do you… have anything you want to ask me?"

Chat swallowed the last piece of his breakfast then sat the box and fork down. Marinette was surprised that he even ate the vegetables.

"Like what?"

"I-I don't know!" Marinette admitted, feeling put on the spot. She suggested lamely, "Human things?"

Chat hummed, looking like he was seriously thinking about it. She was patient, knowing she technically put _him_ on the spot too.

He eyed her up and down, Marinette shifting in her seat. Was it the color of her clothes? She thought the black with the pink had been so—!

"When did girls stop wearing dresses?"

 _Oh._

"Because of this?" Marinette gestured to her outfit. "No, I—uh—I just don't really like wearing them."

Chat's brows raised in impressed surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah!" She giggled, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "My parents were probably too accepting of it back when I was twelve. I made some outfits for myself back then and, yeah, I didn't know anything about colors!"

Marinette suddenly knew what she'd put as number one on a list of things she should never admit to anyone.

Yet for some reason, Chat didn't laugh at her. Instead, he was smiling.

"So you make your own rules and do your own thing?"

Marinette averted her gaze with a shrug, flushing and waiting for him to mock her. "Y-yeah, I _guess_ so."

He chuckled. "I think that's impressive."

He bit his bottom lip, still smiling, as if trying to contain something.

And he was incapable of keeping it in. "...Purrincess."

Marinette blinked.

Wait—

Did he just—

Oh. _Oh no._ He did. He just punned.

Encouraging him was a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake. She should leave now, set fire to the forest, and complain to her father that puns are going to take over the world one day and it's all his fault.

...Actually, scratch that. He'd be proud of that and start leading some sort of pun army.

Instead, she smacked her face, hunching over with a groan of someone who'd been raised on puns since the very beginning. Peeking over at Chat through the gaps of her fingers, she noticed the anticipation on his face. He was waiting for her response.

It might've been just a little bit cute, and Marinette couldn't help giggling. "That's terrible. I'm not even a princess."

Marinette just about _died_ at the goofy grin that suddenly _exploded_ onto Chat's face, his tail swishing back excitedly.

He was excited. Excited about _puns._ She needed to make an escape plan, and _fast._

"You're not?" Chat asked. "Do you at least have followers?"

Marinette _knew_ this tone of voice. "Do not—"

"They could be your Mari men!"

Marinette's groan of exasperation echoed throughout the room as she shoved her face into her hands. She didn't have to look at Chat's face to know he was _thrilled._

 _Overjoyed at her torment._

After a long moment, Marinette not moving in fear of Chat somehow finding a way to make a pun out of that, Chat giggled.

"I'm sorry."

Marinette gave him some credit in that he at least _tried_ to sound sorry. It didn't make it any less painful though.

She lifted her head, remembering a slight rip in her jacket that had happened on the way to the castle. Desperate to leave this pun-filled conversation, she sorted through her bag.

While pulling out the needle and thread, her map came falling out awkwardly. Chat caught it, eyeing it for a moment before handing it back to her.

"What's that big curve?" he asked.

"Hm?" She looked down at her map, noticing how she had the straight line towards the castle suddenly curve outwards. "Oh, that's just… how I remember the path that Plagg took me on, I think?"

A voice interrupted. "No it's not."

Marinette glanced up, face already soured. _Plagg_ was laying on the top of the couch.

"I took you a different way."

Marinette couldn't tell if he was just being honest or intentionally trying to get on her nerves. "Does it matter? I came here just fine."

"Yeah…" Chat rubbed his chin, seeming deep in thought. "It's just that, well, the forest can be dangerous. I've been meaning to talk to you about it."

Marinette nodded, letting him continue.

"It's not safe to travel if you don't know the way. Maybe you should take one of the kwami with you?"

"Are you sure?" She was surprised that Chat was just going to let her borrow one of his friends.

Chat nodded firmly. "The map helped you this time, but if we want to be safe…"

A voice called out from the stairs. "I'll go! I'll go!"

Tikki flew down to them, hovering excitedly. It seemed like she was never far away from Plagg. "I've never been in the village before!"

"You haven't?" Marinette asked, having thought that the kwami were some sort of ancient deities.

Tikki shook her head. "I'm new."

" _New,_ " Marinette repeated, nodding her head but not fully understanding.

"Oh!" Tikki turned to Chat. "But I should make sure you'll be fine while I'm gone!"

She floated up, circling Chat as a trail of red sparkles followed behind her. The sparkles formed, took shape, and became fruit, each of which fell just as they appeared.

Chat flailed to catch the sporadically-made food, laughing. "Thanks, Tikki."

Marinette stared, blinking rapidly in shock. "She can just… _make_ food?"

Chat nodded. "All the kwami have different powers that have to do with their creators."

Marinette nodded in return, appreciative to be more in the know now.

She glanced at Plagg with unamusement. "So, what's _your_ power then?"

Plagg hardly looked at her for a second before averting his gaze, floating off the couch and flying off.

Marinette raised a brow.

"Plagg…" Chat sighed. "He doesn't have any powers."

Marinette was thoroughly confused, as that contradicted what he'd just said earlier, but Chat simplified it to, "I'll tell you some other time."

Marinette hesitantly accepted that.


	6. Chapter 6 - Baked Fate

Chat let out a happy sigh as he laid on his bed, laying back at a slight angle so not to crush his tail. The morning light was slowly turning to noon, and he appreciated the hints of light that leaked through the curtains.

His meetings with Marinette were quickly becoming the highlight of his day. He loved the kwami, but having someone around who was human and at least closer to his height—even if he still towered over them—was a great feeling.

Plus, she was so _nice._

Plagg, sitting on top of a nearby shelf as Chat had his moment, rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless."

Chat chuckled. "And yet you were the one who set it up." Teasingly, he added, "You brought about your own demise."

Plagg made a gagging noise. "I don't like her."

"You're just mad because she took Tikki," Chat countered, knowing full well that Plagg and Tikki were close friends.

"And _other_ reasons." Plagg huffed. "They're gonna get into trouble _so_ fast."

Chat sat up, smiling. "Oh, like _your_ creators did?"

" _My_ creators got in _and_ out of trouble," Plagg corrected, suddenly sounding oddly proud, even puffing out his chest.

"Ahuh. Anyway, the only trouble Tikki ever got in was when she was around _you._ "

Plagg pouted, now offended. "Hey, if I still _had_ my powers, stealing that sketch-thing would've been _way_ easier. Wouldn't've even needed Tikki to show me how to get through the forest."

Chat's smile dropped. "Is that why you don't like her? Because she asked you about your powers?"

Plagg grew silent, averting his gaze from Chat. Grumpily, he replied, "It has nothing to do with that."

"Doesn't it?" Chat prodded. He sighed, getting off the bed and approaching the shelf. "Look, Plagg, if you don't like Marinette, I can ask her to stop coming."

It hurt to say, but Chat meant it. He liked Marinette, truly, but he had no desire to force his desire for a new friend onto the friends he already had.

Plagg knew Chat was serious. Maybe that's why he hunched over, a hint of regret in his eyes, clouded by stubbornness.

"As long as she keeps bringing cheese—"

" _Plagg,_ " Chat said sternly.

Plagg grumbled to himself.

Chat's ears flopped, saddened by the sudden silence. He stared down at the floor. "Are you sure it's not about your powers? Is… is it me?"

Plagg jerked his gaze up.

"Marinette didn't know. If you're gonna blame anyone, blame me." Chat rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "I mean, it's my fault you lost them in the first place—"

Plagg responded by flying up and smacking Chat's nose with a paw. It didn't hurt, but Chat let out a small noise, hand reaching to touch the smacked area.

"I thought we all told you to stop feeling so sorry for yourself."

Chat's brows lowered sadly. "Am I wrong?" he challenged.

"Yeah, you are. You're being dumb," Plagg replied bluntly. "That was on _me,_ not you."

He flew forward, lifting Chat's head with both paws. "So cheer up already. I'd rather have you and that girl being all over each other than you moping around all the time."

Chat's smile returned. "If you say so."

"I do!" Plagg insisted.

Chat turned, starting to head back to his bed.

He paused. "She's not my girlfriend though."

"Yes yes, I know. Spare me the details," Plagg said with a tone that implied that he'd heard 'the details' a hundred times. "You're in love with your Ladybug."

"Exactly," Chat confirmed. "And I've kept her with me ever since."

"Because she gave you the _blah blah blah,_ yes," Plagg rolled onto his back, looking disgusted.

Chat smirked, then moved from the bed to the curtains, pulling them open to look out the window.

He sighed dreamily, even if a little sad. "Wonder how she's doing."

* * *

Tikki was careful not to squirm too much inside Marinette's bag. It may have been a little cramped with all the other things in there, but Marinette thankfully made it home without suspicion.

The bakery's warm pleasantries permeated the glass of the building, and the scents were even sweeter than usual as Marinette went inside. She giggled as she felt Tikki squirming more, probably trying to smell even more of the bakery.

"Welcome back, Marinette!" her parents greeted in unison.

Tikki stopped squirming, probably trying to remain hidden.

Sabine sent a customer on their way, then turned her attention to Marinette. "Did you find your inspiration?"

"Oh! Yeah, definitely!" Marinette replied. Thanks to Chat sleeping, she wasn't _exactly_ lying.

"A new dress for your old man?" Tom joked with a goofy grin.

Marinette snorted, covering her face in embarrassment. " _Papa._ "

"I'm just saying!" Tom turned to Sabine. "Honey, wouldn't I look good in one?"

Sabine tried to respond seriously, but failed entirely, laughing instead. Tom pretended to be offended, but even the customers knew that he was putting on a show.

"I'm going upstairs!" Marinette declared, throwing her hands up and moving past them.

She walked up to her room, the far-off sound of her parents' banter slowly fading from her range of hearing. Slowly setting her bag down so not to harm Tikki, she reached to open it.

She heard a soft sob from inside.

"T-Tikki?" she whispered, confused as she opened the bag to let Tikki free. "What's wrong?"

Tikki shook her head, Marinette bringing her hands forward to pick Tikki up gently. Now that the kwami was closer, she noticed the smile.

"T-those two…" she said softly.

"My parents?"

Tikki nodded. She looked up, meeting Marinette's eyes with a wider smile.

"They made me."

"W-what?" Marinette asked, shocked that she managed to keep herself from shouting. "They _made_ you?" To say she was surprised was an understatement.

Tikki sniffled, calming herself down. "Kwami… We're made through the special connection that two people share when they're _truly_ in love. We get created in the nearest forest, and our job is to stop curses, or help those who've been put under one."

She hugged herself, emitting a gentle glow. "I can't believe I really got to meet them."

"Oh," is all Marinette can say. She couldn't say she was surprised that her parents had such a seemingly rare connection—she'd seen it herself—but knowing that she was holding what was essentially the embodiment of their love, right in her hands?

Suddenly, Tikki felt so much warmer.

"Are there…" Marinette paused to gather her thoughts. "Are there rules to this?"

Tikki tilted her head. "Rules?"

"About meeting them," Marinette clarified. " _Do_ you want to meet them?"

Tikki didn't reply immediately, but there was a noticeable spark in her eyes at the idea she presented.

"Would…" Tikki swallowed shyly. "Would that be okay?"

"Would it?" Marinette echoed. "There really aren't any rules? I'd at least need to tell them that I'm going out into the forest, but they might suspect something if I don't mention the castle and the other kwami too."

"There aren't rules," Tikki confirmed. "It's just… it's dangerous if we ever get caught, so it's not recommended to go out looking for our creators. It's so rare that we find them."

"And Chat would be okay with it? I wouldn't mention him anyway unless he wants me to, but…"

"I'm sure he'd be okay." Tikki glanced to the side. "It's only… _certain_ people that he doesn't want knowing about him."

Marinette decided not to prod. It wasn't Tikki's place to give that kind of information.

Tikki flew up, gazing at the door leading downstairs. She was bobbing up and down excitedly. "But I can meet them? Really?"

Marinette giggled, placing a finger on Tikki's head to stop her. "Be patient. I can't barge in there when they're in the middle of work."

Tikki turned to her, pouting, but understanding. "And you're okay with telling them?"

"Are you kidding?" Marinette smiled. "It'll be a _relief_ to not have to lie to them."

* * *

Marinette waited until long after the sun had set, the moon practically glowing in the night sky. The tantalizing scents of the bakery faded and she began to hear her parents' footsteps, indicating that they were going into the room below.

"Tikki," she called softly.

Tikki was sitting at the table, playing with a spool of thread, but jerked her head up the moment Marinette called for her. "Yes?"

Marinette smiled. "Hide behind me."

She turned, heading downstairs as soon as she felt a tiny pressure against her back.

As she'd thought, Tom and Sabine were indeed in the living room, sitting on the couch together. Sabine was leaning against Tom, who wasted no time in wrapping his arm around her. They seemed like they were in their own world. Marinette almost didn't want to interrupt.

Trying to make a conversation to lead into Tikki's introduction, she asked, "So, did you two get a lot of customers today?"

Tom turned his head, smiling. "Of course!"

Sabine giggled. "He wouldn't stop making bread jokes though."

Tom gasped in offense. "Are you saying my puns are half-baked?"

Marinette snorted, slowly starting to accept the reality that she'd attract lovers of puns for the rest of her life. She walked around the couch, taking a seat on one of the chairs. She leaned forward, not wanting to lean back and risk harming Tikki.

Sabine's brows raised in interest. "Something on your mind, dear?"

Marinette nodded. "Y-yeah, ahh…"

She breathed up. "Remember a few days ago? When you heard all those slamming doors?"

They nodded.

"Well, you won't believe me, but this… _thing,_ stole my sketchpad that night." Marinette may or may not have still been bitter about that.

Tom and Sabine spared a curious glance at each other. "Thing?" they echoed.

Marinette continued, "It led me all the way through the forest and I found this castle. I actually made some friends there, so I've been going back."

She lowered her head. "Sorry for worrying you."

There was a long pause. Then, Sabine giggled. "Of course you'd run into something magical."

Marinette raised her head, confused. "Huh?"

"Oh, it just seems like you to," Sabine replied, waving a hand to dismiss the subject.

Marinette hummed. That was taken strangely well.

Tom leaned forward, tilting his head. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

Marinette perked. "Oh! Right!"

She went to reach back for Tikki, but stopped. "Have either of you ever heard of a kwami?"

Sabine placed a hand to her cheek. "I believe your grandmother once told me about those. They're magical creatures created through the love of two people, right?"

Marinette smiled wider, then turned her head to look behind her. "Tikki, you can come out now."

Tikki poked her head up, peeking over Marinette's shoulder, then flew past it, floating in front of Tom and Sabine.

The room went dead quiet. Marinette couldn't quite describe the looks they were giving each other. Not quite shock, but not disinterest either.

Sabine was the first to move. She reached for Tikki, Tom following the gesture. The closer they got, the more Tikki glowed.

They brought her close, and Marinette smiled as they looked so in _awe_ to have a kwami in their hands. Tom and Sabine nuzzled each other, smiling wide.

Marinette almost felt like she was intruding. Maybe Chat would like to hear about this?

She giggled and slipped past everyone, heading for the front door. She went outside, closing the door behind her, then began heading for the forest.

A familiar voice called out behind her: Chloe's. "Going back to where you were taught your manners?"

Marinette stopped, huffing as stood still, back facing Chloe. Well, she'd avoided her for a few days, which was an accomplishment.

"Or are you finding a place to hide so we don't have to see that gaudy outfit of yours?"

Marinette breathed up. She shouldn't have to deal with this. If she could travel through the forest all by herself _and_ be friends with a massive talking cat, she should _not_ have to put up with this. She was stronger than that.

She opened her mouth, trying to think of something witty, but nothing came out.

Well, Chloe honestly wasn't worth it this time around anyway. Marinette chose to say nothing, instead continuing her walk.

"Or maybe you're—hey!" Chloe huffed, clearly not liking being ignored. "You get back here, Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Don't you _dare_ ignore me!"

Marinette smiled. _Thanks for the confidence, Chat._


	7. Chapter 7 - Sleep is for the Meek

Marinette continued to visit the castle every day. Chat and the kwami were her friends, after all. Of course, given that, she made sure to make time for Alya and Nino as well.

It was comforting, having so many friends, and not at all overwhelming like she thought it'd be.

She also noticed that she was slowly finding Chat more and more fascinating. She didn't prod in fear of offending him, but when she'd mentioned that Tikki had been her parents' kwami, he seemed both happy and a little… jealous, perhaps? Maybe it made sense since he'd never even _mentioned_ his parents to her, but it was still interesting.

She noted that he was extremely patient with her. Whenever she got an idea for a design or just needed to draw, he remained quiet and let her do it. He even watched her from time to time, like he was having fun just watching her draw.

Today's particular visit was just that. It was late in the evening, but Marinette was too concerned with sketching Chat to go home just yet.

"Is my statue impression good enough for you, Princess?" Chat asked with a cheesy smile.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled back. He was never going to let that nickname go, was he? "You're fine, Chat. I'm almost done."

Chat's tail twitched in slight impatience. He never moved his head in fear of ruining her drawing, but his eyes kept darting down towards it, filled with curiosity.

Marinette stuck her tongue out to the side of her mouth, trying to focus. Chat's fur was tricky. It wasn't intensely long, but it wasn't crazy short either.

She gave a side-glance to Chat, eyeing his fur. It was hard to tell due to the thickness. How long was it?

Chat followed Marinette's gaze, then looked back at her. "Something wrong?"

Marinette flushed. Was this an awkward question? "Mmm, ah, it's nothing. I was just wondering what the length of your fur was?"

Okay, yeah. Definitely an awkward question. The _most_ awkward question.

Chat's ears twitched as if he'd never even thought about it before. He stared down at his fur, thinking for a moment, then grabbed hold of a strand and tugged. He flinched, but it came out easily enough.

"How's this?" He held out the strand.

Marinette paused, eyes wide that he'd pull out a strand of fur for her just like that, but nodded, accepting it.

The strand was longer than she'd expected. She couldn't help gazing rather longingly at his fur coat, a bit disappointed with the reference he allowed her.

She'd make due. After examining the strand for a few seconds, she set it at the top of her paper and continued sketching. Chat had already returned to his original pose.

After a solid few minutes, she smiled. "And… done!"

Chat moved from his static position, shifting his shoulders to ease up his muscles. "Can I—"

She presented the sketch to him, Chat bending over to look at it. His eyes widened in awe. "This is _amazing!_ "

Marinette flushed at the praised, grinning.

Chat then added, "And you didn't paws for a second!"

She blinked, then placed a hand to her face and snorted. "That's it. I'm leaving."

"Princess~" Chat whined playfully, knowing that it was time for her to leave anyway.

Marinette giggled, then reached for her bag to sling around her shoulder.

Her fingers touched air.

She looked down at the couch, swearing she had left it there. She leaned forward, wondering if maybe it'd fallen.

Chat pushed himself up, looking around as well, then stopped to consider something. "Did you have any cheese in there for Plagg?"

"Yeah? Just in case he—" Her expression turned to unamusement. She added flatly, "He stole my bag."

Chat smiled sympathetically. "Do you want me to go get it?"

"No, it's okay," Marinette insisted, standing up and closing her sketchpad. "I'll take care of it."

Chat nodded, bowing. "Then I'll get ready for bed, Princess."

They walked past each other; a slightly awkward fit, given the table not being far from the couch.

Marinette headed upstairs, taking a second to consider which hallway to go down before deciding on the right.

She looked around warily, hoping for an open door that would give Plagg away. She'd largely forgiven him for the whole sketchpad thing, though partly because she felt bad for his not having powers.

Pollen's voice suddenly called out to her. "Marinette!"

Marinette rounded the corner, watching Pollen flying up to her while carrying her bag.

Marinette beamed. "Oh, thank you!"

Pollen nodded, just happy to help.

Marinette took the bag, slipping the strap onto her shoulder. She checked the inside and, sure enough, no cheese.

"It's no problem!" Pollen assured. "I found it on the floor when I was cleaning the castle."

"Wait—" Marinette blinked. "You clean this whole place?"

"That's right!" Pollen nodded. "It's my power! My creators loved cleaning almost at much as they loved each other!"

Marinette smiled, nodding her head and watching as Pollen got back to work.

Pollen reached her paws out, a tiny piece of fluff appearing, matching the fluff around her neck. She rubbed the fluff against part of the wall, making it sparkling clean.

Marinette's brows raised, impressed. "And you clean the whole castle with _just_ that?"

"Well…" Pollen giggled. "I _can_ clean it more immediately and easily. I just like going slower. It's more fun that way."

She glanced down the hallway, shouting, "Isn't that right, Duusu?"

Duusu poked her head out from around the corner, then flew over. "How'd you know I was there?"

Pollen shrugged. "I didn't. I was merely hoping you were."

"Oh?" Duusu smirked, flying closer and flaring her peacock tail outwards, even striking a pose. "Am I just that good-looking that you had to see me again?"

Pollen paused, as if considering her answer, then teasingly replied, "Maybe a little."

Duusu flinched, stunningly speechless as she glanced over at Pollen with a slowly-growing pink blush.

Pollen added, "But, well, it could've also been that it'd be embarrassing had I called you and you not appeared."

The flush faded, Duusu's expression turning to playfulness. "You—!"

Marinette watched with a stifled giggle as Duusu tackled Pollen, the two rolling about and almost wrestling in the air.

"You take that back!" Duusu demanded, but in no serious manner. "I _know_ you missed me!"

Pollen laughed, and Marinette suddenly felt like she was intruding.

She smiled, hands clasped around her bag's strap as she left the two kwami alone.

When she returned to Chat, the fireplace had been lit and Chat had laid himself down on the rug in front of it, much like… well, a cat.

Marinette giggled, not even surprised. In fact, it was probably the most normal sleeping position she'd ever found him in, and she'd learned very quickly not to question it.

Sleeping on the stair railing? First time she'd ever found him sleeping. On a shelf that looked completely incapable of holding his weight but did anyway? Classic Chat. Resting on the chandelier with no recollection afterward of how he got up there? Only every other Monday.

She walked over to the back of the couch, leaning onto it and staring at Chat with an amused gaze. "Not even sleeping upside-down on the couch, Chat?"

He peeked up at her with one eye open, looking surprised, then opened the other eye as well. He smirked. "Are you disappointed?"

"No," Marinette replied, smirking back.

She watched as he shifted, turning away from her to face the fire. She was sure he wasn't embarrassed, as she'd caught him many times before in sillier positions, but the way he moved made her wonder…

"Aren't you uncomfortable?"

Chat's ear twitched. He straightened his back, easing out of his sleeping position to more easily turn his head to her.

She continued, "It's just… you always seem so well-rested."

"Maybe you're just my wake-up call, hm? Can't be looking all disheveled in front of a princess."

Marinette rolled her eyes despite her pink cheeks. "That doesn't answer my question. You sleep in the weirdest places. I mean, I guess the stairs would be worse, but even sleeping on the floor must feel awful, right?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps it's the cat in me that's to blame, but I'm _very_ comfortable no matter where I sleep."

She hummed in thought. Even the chandelier was a comfortable spot?

She tried to imagine it—tried to imagine Chat actually feeling comfortable lying in such places—and shook her head in disbelief. "I'd _never_ be able to sleep like you do."

Chat laid back down, though twisting so he could still face her. "Have you ever tried?"

Marinette opened her mouth to retort, ready to immediately dismiss the idea, but stopped herself. Technically, she supposed she never _actually_ tried. She had a bed back home, so why _would_ she?

She eyed the rug underneath Chat, then peered upwards. Chat was grinning at her curiosity.

She frowned, reality kicking in. "I don't think it'd work. You have all that fur, so it makes sense that you'd be more comfortable."

Chat paused, his expression indicating that he knew she was right. He stared at the floor, probably thinking it over, then glanced back up at her.

Was he blushing?

He opened his mouth, looking ready to say something or maybe snark at her, but nothing came out.

Marinette hesitated, endlessly curious, but feared that she'd made things awkward. Thinking it better to just leave, she turned away.

Chat blurted out, "W-why not try laying on _me_ then?"

She froze, jerking her head back to him. "W-what?"

He stared off at the wall. "Plagg's done it before. He must think I'm a good pillow, but it never hurt to have a second opinion."

Marinette let out a small noise that even _she_ couldn't discern, her body reeling back in surprise. Lay down, on _Chat?_ She didn't doubt he was comfy, given his appearance, but the offer was a bit sudden, even if not entirely unwelcome.

She looked out the window, judging the time. It was late, she was tired, and her parents were probably already asleep. They knew she liked coming here, so they weren't likely to be worried if—

She glanced back at Chat, eyeing his fur coat. She bit her bottom lip, hardly believing that she was actually considering the idea.

He _did_ look soft though.

"Is it… all right?" Marinette asked, wanting to be sure. Even though she'd asked, her hands were already toying with the blanket resting on the back of the couch.

Chat nodded, smiling sheepishly.

After a moment of hesitation, Marinette grabbed the blanket, curiosity officially winning over as she walked over to Chat. His fur coat looked even nicer up close.

He laid back down, facing the fire again, but his eyes were drawn to her as if he couldn't look away.

Getting down on her knees, she draped the blanket over both herself and Chat, hesitating for a long moment before laying against his side.

He really _was_ soft, and the warmth was a bonus. Marinette couldn't even help reaching a hand up to properly feel the fur.

Chat let out a muffled squeak in response, Marinette stopping immediately and pulling her hand away. "O-oh, um, sorry—"

"No!" Chat cut in. "It's... it's fine."

He chuckled, probably trying to lighten the mood. "So, is Plagg right? Am I comfy enough?"

Marinette snorted, her embarrassment turning to amusement. "You're okay, I guess."

Chat faked a gasp. "You _guess?_ " he asked in mock offense. "I go through a lot of effort to keep this fur smooth and silky, I'll have you know!"

"Not enough!" she retorted playfully, knowing he'd recognize her teasing from the way she was currently nuzzling his fur.

"You're too cruel, Princess."

"It's sleep time, Chat," she reminded him dismissively.

"Oh?" Chat's ears perked as he looked away from her. Even though Marinette couldn't see his face, she could _feel_ the smirk.

"Chat, _no._ "

"So you'd prefer it if I were catatonic?"

Marinette tried extremely hard to stifle her giggles, lightly smacking Chat in the back of the head. He merely laughed.

She smiled. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

She was glad he did though, especially as she sensed the smile Chat currently had.

Marinette turned her attention back to his fur, not petting it, but running her fingers along the edges in steady circles. She enjoyed the way it parted at her touch.

She paused, knowing she essentially told him to sleep, but also wanting to start a conversation. "So…"

Chat turned his head to her, their eyes meeting. Marinette continued, "Don't you have an _actual_ bed to sleep in? This place is so big, and I know I saw a bedroom around the castle a few times."

Chat shrugged to the best of his ability, given that he was laying down. "I've got one, yeah, but this body of mine doesn't always agree with it, and I guess it started to be fun sleeping where it didn't make sense."

Marinette hummed in thought. "Then… do you have any other cat traits?"

Chat paused, needing a moment to think about it. Marinette was patient, understanding that differentiating between human and cat traits may've been hard for him.

"I tried lapping at a glass of milk once," he blurted out.

Marinette immediately started laughing, Chat's face turning a cute shade of pink. "I-I didn't _mean_ to!"

"No, it's not that!" she assured, shaking her head. "I just didn't expect something like that from you. Aside from sleeping like you do, you don't generally do a lot of cat things."

"I am a gentlecat," Chat responded with a light regal tone. "I shouldn't act in such ways around my guest."

"So you _do_ act differently then?"

She giggled, watching as he seemed to be mentally scolding himself for the slip-up.

"E-er, I mean, I don't act _that_ different, I—"

Gently, she pet his fur, which quieted him immediately. "...Silly cat."

One of his ears flicked downwards, confused.

She smiled. "You don't have to worry about that stuff with me. You know that, right?"

Chat stared at her, head slightly tilted. "Uh—" He paused, as if trying to come up with something witty to say, but instead fumbled out, "N-no, I don't?"

If it were a normal person Marinette had been talking to, she _might've_ felt insulted, but she couldn't blame Chat. She didn't know all the details of his condition, but she knew that he'd been without human contact for a long time. It was natural that he'd be insecure.

"You do now," she said confidently, leaning further into him. "We're friends, Chat. You can be yourself around me."

She peeked up, noting the subtle fond curves of his smile.

"Even with my puns?"

"Yes," she replied immediately.

"I hope you know that it works the same way for you too then?"

Marinette nodded, eyelids drooping. "I know. You're one of the few people who don't look at me weird for my ''crazy fashion ideas''."

"You're just ahead of your time," he stated matter-of-factly. "Give it a few hundred years maybe."

Marinette snorted. "I'll be dead by then."

"Ah, but your ideas will live on forever," he argued. "So don't worry about it."

Even if she didn't believe him, she deeply appreciated the gesture. She questioned playfully, "Where'd you get a cheesy thought like that?"

She wasn't sure what had happened to cause it, but the atmosphere suddenly dropped. Chat's ears fell noticeably as he stopped looking at her.

She frowned. "Chat?"

"...My mom. She'd say a lot of things like that."

"Oh." Marinette knew it was best not to pry. Surely, she'd only hurt him further if she did. Another time might work, but now was not it.

Chat took a breath, then shook his head, facing her with a genuine smile. "It's fine, Marinette." She knew he was serious, given that he used her real name. "She left a long time ago. I moved on."

Even in her near-asleep state, Marinette could tell it was a lie. She was drifting off, but still managed, "You can talk to me whenever you need to."

He hesitated, perhaps surprised at the offer, then nodded. Marinette nuzzled his side, watching as Chat rested his head on his forearms.

His voice was soft. "If she still lived with me… she would've liked you a lot."

Marinette smiled softly. She didn't know anything about Chat's mother, but the compliment warmed her heart.

She made smooth sweeping motions along his fur, showing her appreciation.

Then, they slowly drifted off together.


	8. Chapter 8 - Tour to Suspicion

In all the years that Marinette had been friends with Alya, she'd learned many things about her. Alya had courage. She had determination. She had compassion.

"Girl, seriously, where have you been going all this time?"

Unfortunately, she also had perseverance and a severe lack of understanding when it came to privacy. Marinette had been expecting this the instant she sat at the dining room table with Alya and Nino.

"You know…" Marinette smiled sheepishly. "Out?"

"Out," Alya echoed skeptically.

Marinette had been expecting this too, considering that she was one of the worst liars in the universe.

Alya continued, "Come on, Marinette. I know you go out to get your inspiration and everything, but you've been leaving for _longer_ and _longer._ "

Marinette chewed at her bottom lip, trying to think. She didn't want to lie to Alya, but she didn't want to be riddled with questions either. At the same time, not saying enough was risky. Alya would get too suspicious and try to find out on her own, which was all sorts of bad.

"I've been… meeting a new friend," Marinette said after a moment of thought. "We've been meeting out in the forest."

"A _romantic_ friend?" Alya pressed.

"Alya!" Marinette pouted. "My heart belongs to Adrien."

"Ahuh." Alya took a bite of her donut. "And that's why you stayed overnight that one time, I'm sure."

"I've slept over at your house!" Marinette protested, blushing at the memory of sleeping on Chat.

"I'm your _best_ friend though," Alya pointed out. "That's different."

Marinette let out a small whine. Alya knew just how to make her talk and just what words to pick out. There was no such thing as being careful when it came to her.

"Well… it's just a long walk home, and it was late, so…"

Alya leaned forward, eyes half-lidded in amusement. "So you stayed so late that you didn't have time to go home, huh?"

Marinette's blush reddened. Alya's traps were inescapable, but she had to try.

It wasn't fair to Chat if she didn't. Chat never gave her permission to talk about him, and she felt guilty for divulging even tiny pieces of information.

Nino chuckled, biting into his muffin. "Just give it up, Marinette. She'll never let you go if you don't."

"We're not dating or anything, I'll tell you that much."

Alya smirked. "I never said you were."

"I-I know you're thinking it!" Marinette sighed, already feeling exhausted. "L-look, it's him and his friends and I just don't want to say anything out of respect for his privacy, okay?"

Alya pouted, obviously not satisfied, but Marinette buckled down firmly, adding, "I'd at least want to ask him first if it's okay that I talk about him."

"Why the privacy?" Alya asked. "Is he hiding a big secret?"

"U-uh… maybe?" Marinette shrugged, trying not to break under Alya's gaze.

Alya leaned forward, as if ready to pry for more information, but huffed, leaning back in her chair. "Fine. I'll let it go for now, but I want more details next time!"

Marinette smiled appreciatively. "Thank you."

Nino pointed to Marinette with his half-eaten muffin. "You can't blame her for being curious, Marinette. You've seemed so much happier since you started leaving more."

"I have?" Marinette blinked, having not even noticed. Then again, she supposed it would make sense; she'd blissfully accept it if she'd just suddenly become happier.

She gently clasped her cup of tea, staring down at the subtle movements of the water as she pulled it towards her.

Yeah, she really was happier, she supposed. She had thought of Adrien less, even though she still kept him firmly in her heart. Chat was just such a nice guy. He respected her, offered to do anything she wanted, and as much as she hated to admit it, his puns were _always_ funny.

She smiled fondly, only to banish it as she realized she was being stared at, both Nino and Alya giving her looks.

Marinette scrambled to stand up, flushing as she gulped down her tea. Making a frantic grab for her bag, she added, "A-anyway, I should probably go see him."

Where was a hole to swallow her when she needed one?

Alya raised a hand. "At least tell me about his house next time! I want _details!_ "

Marinette just nodded, walking away from them as quickly as possible.

"Marinette!" Nino called.

She halted, hesitating and turning back to him. Thankfully, his smile was innocent.

"Are we still on for next week?"

Right, Marinette recalled, their usual meetings where they could talk about Adrien.

She beamed. "Of course!"

Just so long as he didn't want to move it to now, because _now_ currently involved her fleeing out the door.

* * *

"A tour?" Chat asked with a hum, leaning against the couch. "You mean of the castle?"

"Mhm!" Marinette nodded. "If that's okay? I promise I didn't tell Alya anything about you! I just have to tell her about the castle so she stops being so—"

He raised a hand, smiling. "Easy, Princess. I trust you. I'll give you a tour."

"Really?" She blinked, surprised. "Just like that?"

"It's just a castle." Chat shrugged. "And you've been visiting so much. You might as well know what the rest of the place looks like."

It was a fair point. Marinette supposed she must've visited many times by now, yet very rarely explored the castle in-depth. It was a welcome opportunity.

Chat straightened. "Anything specific you want to see?"

She was thankful that he'd asked. "Hm… how about the kwami? Do they all have their own rooms?"

"Yeah, they've all pretty much got their own territory."

Chat led her up the stairs, pointing to the right. "Wayzz are Nooroo are over there." Then the left. "Pollen and Duusu are there."

He looked down at Marinette with a smile. "And Tikki and Plagg's rooms are in the back."

She counted off the kwami in her head. "What about Trixx?"

"Trixx goes wherever he wants," he replied.

He looked around, nose twitching, then smirked. "Isn't that right, Trixx?"

Marinette followed his current gaze, eyeing a lamp that hung on the wall, but noticed a severe lack of Trixx.

At least, until the kwami suddenly faded into existence, letting out a yawn. "What? It's comfy here."

Marinette looked up at Chat, surprised. "He can disappear?"

"He can do illusions in general," Chat answered.

Trixx eyed Marinette with a lopsided smile. "If you ever need a good illusion, lemme know. They're my favorite."

Marinette chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

She looked back at Chat, who was already heading down the hall to her right. She followed, looking at each door ahead of them, wondering which one belonged to either Wayzz or Nooroo.

Chat approached one, knocking. "Wayzz! Can we come in?"

The sound of something hitting the floor followed. "Ah, yes! Come in!"

Marinette gave Chat an unsure gaze, but he nodded reassuringly and opened the door, wandering inside.

Marinette had _not_ been expecting an entire library to be behind the door. Or, well, a room-sized library.

Bookshelves lined the wall, filled so tightly with book that there were some resting horizontally on top of the vertical ones. The table in the center had a few as well, and Wayzz floated in front of a stand that a book had fallen from.

"Can you pick that up for me? I'd re-summon it, but I'd rather not lose my place."

Marinette and Chat went for the book simultaneously, though Chat moved back as he saw her, so as to let Marinette retrieve it instead.

She picked it up, careful not to accidentally flip a page or close it, then set it on the stand. Wayzz smiled at her appreciatively.

Marinette smiled back. "So, what do you do here?"

"Ah, well—" Wayzz paused, looking past Marinette. He grinned sheepishly. "N-not much really. Just some light reading."

Marinette glanced back at Chat, who was now pretending to be distracted by the ceiling.

Hm.

Wayzz flew between Chat and Marinette, going close to Marinette as he continued, "My power is knowledge. Any book that existed in the world can be conjured up here as long as I can think of what its contents could be."

Marinette gaped, impressed. " _Any_ book? Even if it's lost to time?"

"That's right!" Wayzz exclaimed, proudly puffing his chest out.

"So, were your creators librarians or authors?" she wondered aloud.

"Both!" he replied. After a pause, he explained, "One of them was a librarian, and the other was an author."

"Ah." Marinette nodded in understanding, slightly amused.

Chat cut in, "Hey, Wayzz, is Nooroo in his room today?"

"Hm?" Wayzz darted his head over to Chat oddly quickly. "Nooroo? Yes, he was—ah—playing a delightful piece earlier."

Marinette could already guess, "His powers are related to music?"

Chat nodded. "He can play any instrument as long as he's got a tune in mind."

He suddenly flinched, glancing out into the hallway, as if he feared being overheard. Marinette tilted her head, curious. As Chat gestured for her to follow, she waved politely to a smiling Wayzz as she let Chat lead her out.

Chat returned to the hallway, his footsteps quieter than usual as he walked along. Marinette followed, confused but not saying a word.

He stopped as he reached one of the doors, Marinette having a sense of deja vu. She'd been here specifically, hadn't she? She first met Nooroo here.

Chat leaned against the door, twitching one of his ears to press against it as well. He gestured for Marinette to do the same.

She hesitated, but obeyed, and slowly, the pleasant sounds of a piano permeated the door. It was slow, light, and _beautiful,_ the notes melting together like the perfect stitches of a new outfit.

After a long moment, Chat stood back up, smiling to Marinette before continuing his walk down the hall. Marinette followed, a bit sad as the sound of Nooroo's music left her range of hearing.

The hall was long and relatively quiet, the sound of Marinette's shoes clicking against the floor being somewhat louder than Chat's soft footsteps.

She eyed the walls, watching the lamps pass by as she walked. Chat didn't seem to be paying as much attention, simply focused on walking.

He glanced over to her, then back down the hall. "I know this place is big, but there's actually not much to see. You already know Duusu's power anyway, yeah? What about Pollen's?"

Marinette let out a soft sound of acknowledgement to signify that she knew, but stopped walking as Chat completely passed up a pair of double doors. It was incredibly hard to miss.

She watched him for a moment, waiting to see if he'd say anything, then pointed to the doors. "What's in here?"

Chat halted, turning his head and eyeing the door in question. He seemed surprised that Marinette would even mention such a thing " _That?_ That's just the ballroom, Princess." He chuckled. "Even _I_ don't go in there that much. There's nothing special about it."

It was too late. Marinette already had her hands on the doors and was pushing them open. Chat smiled, amused, and followed her inside.

Marinette's mouth dropped open. The ballroom was huge, tall pillars lining the sides and stretching to the top. A bright golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, and an assortment of patterns danced along the walls. In the back, Marinette even saw a piano, resting close by the back door, which led to a balcony.

She turned to Chat, looking offended as she playfully pounded at his fluffy chest. "What do you _mean_ there's nothing special about this place? It's _beautiful!_ "

Chat took an extra moment to stare at the room. "Honestly, I forgot." He shrugged sheepishly. "I never needed to come in here for anything."

"Oh," Marinette uttered instantly, turning away. _He never had a dance partner…_

She swallowed, hand shifting to rub the back of her neck. She feared she may've made things awkward and the fact that she'd done this before when she slept on him didn't help.

She squeaked. "I'm sorry."

Chat squatted down to her level, looking oblivious. "What for?"

Marinette turned her head back to him, then stared at the floor, blushing in embarrassment. "I can't dance."

Chat's brows raised, as if he'd thought that her dancing with him had never even crossed her mind.

He stared off to the side and cleared his throat. "I-I took classes… a long time ago." He flushed.

" _Ugh._ " Marinette shared his flush, hands moving to her ponytails as she tried to use them to hide her face. "That's even worse."

He looked back at her, ears perked. She could hardly make eye contact with him, but he seemed to be thinking.

"W-well, Princess, furtunately for you, I happen to remember all the lessons," he said in his usual Chat way.

Marinette let her ponytails swish back to where they were, a raised brow and amused smile on her face. "Really?"

Her reaction had clearly surprised him, but in a pleasant way. "Only if you want to. I know the instructor's a little..." He grinned sheepishly, scratching a cheek with his claw. " _Out of the ordinary._ "

Marinette laughed. "I'd be stepping all over your poor feet."

"So you will?" Chat asked immediately, hope in his voice.

Marinette paused, registering how _excited_ he sounded at the idea, then giggled. She couldn't believe she was going along with this. "Sure."

Chat beamed. He stood back up, walking over to stand in the door frame. "Nooroo!"

After a few seconds of silence, Nooroo flew inside the ballroom, hovering in front of Chat's face. "Yes, Chat? Do you need something?"

"If it's okay with you?" Chat gestured to the piano in the distance. "You still like playing, right?"

Marinette grinned, able to see that he was feigning innocence.

Nooroo gasped. He looked to Marinette, then to Chat, his expression unsure. "You… want me to play?"

Chat nodded, Nooroo's face slowly lighting up as he flew past Chat.

Marinette watched, Nooroo's form looking even smaller at the distance he was from them. A surge of magic extended from Nooroo's paws, music slowly beginning to play.

Chat's ears flickered, delighted by the tune. He smiled at Marinette. "How's this?"

"It's perfect." Marinette turned back, ready to say something else, but stopped as she saw Chat's furry hand extended out to her. She glanced up at his face, noting his sheepish smile and the way his green eyes stared at her with anticipation. She got the feeling that he was just as nervous as she was. Somehow, it put her mind at ease.

She managed a smirk, raising her hand and letting it rest on his palm.

"Well? Teach me, kitty."


	9. Chapter 9 - The Thing That Means Most

Marinette's parents had always praised her for her ability to look at things deeper than the average person. She saw situations, analyzed them, and saw them through.

For example, Marinette had known for a long time that Chat was a gentle soul. That was obvious; even a normal mindset would lead one to think that.

But only someone like Marinette would notice the way he extended his fingers, so not to accidentally scratch her with his claws, or the way he strategically guided her hand upwards to his arm. He was careful not to force her too close. This was a strictly friendly dance, after all.

He held her other hand carefully, but tightly enough that it wouldn't slide of out his grasp. His fur brushed her palm, making her giggle at the light tickling sensation.

"Do you mind if I lead?" Chat asked, smiling politely.

Marinette snickered. "Will we ever get anywhere if you don't?"

He hummed in good humor. "Good point."

His body moved forward before his feet, giving Marinette an ample amount of time to step back. Once she had, his steps followed suit.

Nooroo's music fit the simplicity of the steps very well. With each step, Marinette could hear the subtle echo of a note. Nooroo was either watching carefully or was just that talented. Marinette could believe either.

"So..." Chat began, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Was this part of the deal too?"

"Hm?" Marinette stared blankly at him. She was surprised she could follow his steps while still listening to him.

"That deal you made with the Alya girl, about her telling you more," he clarified. "Was dancing with me part of that?"

Marinette shared in his amusement. "No, not really."

Chat twirled her. "Not really?"

She leaned outwards, then allowed Chat to twirl her back in. "Didn't you know? This has always been on my bucket list."

"Ah, of course." Chat nodded. "Dancing with a cat beast is every girl's dream."

"Isn't it?" Marinette teased in response. "Though, I'd say cat _person_ more than cat _beast._ "

"Really?" he asked, half-serious.

"You don't have a single beastly bone in your body," she answered honestly.

He smiled fondly. "You're too good to me, Princess."

"I think you might be a little biased there," she commented playfully. "I _am_ your only visitor, after all."

She paused, suddenly realizing how insensitive that might've sounded, but upon looking up at Chat, he merely grinned at her.

"And that makes you my favorite visitor."

Part of her wanted to teasingly retort that she'd technically be his least favorite too, but she just ended up blushing instead.

She noticed vaguely that his eyes were greener than usual.

Marinette slowly became more adept at leaning into Chat's steps, though perhaps more because she was getting better at reading what he'd do next rather than just her getting better at dancing.

"Your back's going to be aching in the morning with how you're hunched over like that," she murmured, slightly concerned.

Chat shook his head. "I've been through worse. Besides, if you want _any_ hope of dancing normally, I'll have to deal."

She smiled. He was _far_ too considerate. "I guess so."

He hummed in thought. "So, do you have any servants beside Alya?"

Marinette snorted. "You really _aren't_ going to let that princess thing go, are you?"

"Never," he confirmed, sounding proud of himself.

She rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Anyway, I don't have that many friends."

"I figured you would've had a lot," Chat said.

"Like I said, you're biased."

"I'm _experienced._ " Chat raised his hand, ready to twirl her again. "So, unless you changed your mind, _I'm_ one of your friends, right?"

"Of course." Marinette spun outwards as he twirled his hand for her. She leaned away from him to pose. "Aside from that, it's just Alya and Nino."

Suddenly, Marinette felt her balance leave her. She clenched her hand, where Chat's hand had been, but only found air. He'd let go. She flailed, trying to find stability.

Nooroo stopped playing.

Marinette's feet slipped out from underneath her, but Chat's hand secured her back before she could hit the floor. His other hand held one of hers.

"Sorry!" he said in a panic. "Sorry…"

She looked up at him, noticing that his eyes were wide with an emotion she couldn't place.

"It's okay," she assured, though not fully understanding what had just happened. She giggled. "Maybe humans and cat people don't make the best dance partners."

"Ah, I guess not," Chat agreed, though not with the enthusiasm she'd expected. He kept his hand on her back until she regained her balance.

Marinette studied his face, noticing the way his brows furrowed as he looked away. Had she done something?

She hesitated. "Do you… want to keep dancing?"

Chat glanced over at her. "I might just let go of you again," he warned.

Marinette wasn't fond of the sudden atmosphere. If they stopped dancing now, she feared Chat might keep his current mood.

"We can keep going," she said confidently. She paused, recalling seeing her parents dance a long time ago, then added, "If you're that worried, why don't you just pick me up?"

"You…" Chat's ears flopped to one side. "Really?"

She nodded despite her blush. "Why not? I trust you, and it'd be harder to drop me, wouldn't it?"

He stared down at his hand while she waited patiently for him. He looked up at her, then slowly brought his arm around her.

In a steady motion, Marinette felt the floor leave her. Sitting perpendicular to his position, the upper part of Chat's arm was behind her while his forearm and hand were under her legs, securing her.

She grasped his shoulder with one hand for extra balance, though regretted the action immediately.

Even the fur on his shoulder was soft.

"Is this okay?" Chat asked, offering his free hand to her. His voice was even softer than usual.

She rested her hand on his, nodding. "Mhm."

Chat turned his head to Nooroo, who took a moment to realize what Chat's eyes were telling him.

He turned back to the piano, the music starting over again.

Chat stepped back in time with the notes, meeting Marinette's gaze hesitantly. "What are your friends like?"

Marinette needed a few seconds to register the question. After what had just happened, it'd felt like it came out of nowhere.

"Well… Alya has been my friend for a long time," she began. "She can be a little pushy, but I know it's just because she worries about me. I've never been able to keep a secret for her for long since she's so sharp."

Chat twirled, though slowly so not to throw Marinette off balance. "And—" He cut himself off, a look of anticipation on his face. "The other one?"

"Nino?" Marinette smiled. "He's a really nice guy. He's fun and excitable, but he keeps Alya calm when she needs to be."

"Yeah?" Chat's voice held a certain interest that she hadn't expected, but she rolled with it.

"Yeah." She stared down at the fur underneath her hand, watching it shift as she flexed her fingers. "They're really good for each other."

He breathed up. "They're dating?"

She nodded. The room was quiet again, excluding Nooroo's music, but it was more of a thoughtful silence.

"...Thanks," Chat whispered softly; so soft that Marinette barely heard it.

She met his eyes. "Thanks? For what?"

He beamed, though with a hint of foreign emotion behind it. "For being you, of course. And, well, it's nice hearing about what goes on outside this castle."

She flushed. "N-no problem."

Chat's steps became slower—more deliberate—as time passed. Marinette appreciated the change of pace, along with the subtle way he moved their joined hands whenever he turned.

She wasn't sure how long they'd danced for, and only realized after they'd _stopped_ that she'd never been so close to someone before.

She also realized that she didn't mind.

* * *

Chat closed the doors behind him as they left the ballroom. He then turned to Nooroo, smiling appreciatively.

"Thanks for playing for us." He bowed.

Nooroo nodded, cheeks slightly pink. "I-it wasn't a problem! Thanks for letting me play!"

Marinette smiled as she watched Nooroo fly off, then glanced up at Chat. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Ah—" Chat paused. Marinette figured that he hadn't looked out at the ballroom's balcony either.

"Afternoon? Maybe?" He rubbed the back of his head, unsure. "Why? Do you… have to go soon?"

"No, not really," Marinette assured, shaking her head.

Although the dance had been wonderful, she couldn't help wondering about Chat's state of mind, and didn't plan on leaving unless she really had to.

"So, then…" Chat placed a hand on his chin, probably to think.

Marinette copied the motion, trying to think alongside him. She supposed that the logical next step was to visit Pollen and Duusu, but as she eyed Chat, she asked, "What about _your_ room?"

"H-hm?" Chat blinked. "What about it?"

"What does your room look like?

"It's not much." He scratched the back of his head, a playful smile on his face. "Why? Do you have standards for my room too now?"

She smiled back. "You don't need to hide it from me, Chat. I know you have _actual_ skeletons in your closet."

"Ah, you got me." He turned, walking down the hallway. "You're good at organizing, right? I'm sure you could help me find a proper place for them."

Marinette chuckled, following after him. Chat's steps were heavier than usual, but the banter still seemed to lift his spirits, if just slightly.

Chat's room wasn't far from the ballroom, the door like any other. Chat opened it, Marinette peeking inside to see that it wasn't unlike the room she'd been in the first time she'd found the castle by following Plagg.

She hesitated, feeling like she was intruding on his privacy, but at Chat's beckon, she allowed herself to walk inside.

There was a beauty in simplicity at least. It was indeed just a generic bedroom, but it was kept clean. It was obvious that Chat cleaned it and not Pollen, given a few mistakes here and there, though the imperfection made the room stand out from the others.

Chat sat down on the bed, stretching his arms upwards before laying back. "Any other questions you think your friend's going to ask?"

Marinette hummed, her eyes scanning the room. "Dunno. I bet she wants to hear more about _you,_ but she's just worried about me."

He chuckled. "Makes sense. This castle is all the way out in the forest, which isn't safe if you don't know where you're going." He paused for a moment, frowning, then sat up. "That reminds me. You've been leaving Tikki at your house. Are you sure you don't want me to come get you instead?"

"Don't worry." Marinette feigned smugness. "My grandmother was a witch, so I'll just blast anything dangerous I see."

Chat blinked. "...Really?"

She shrugged. "Nah. My mother really did use to talk about my grandmother like that though. Bedtime stories and all."

He smirked in amusement at that. "Okay, but if you ever want me to come meet you at the start of the forest, all you have to do is say so."

She smiled appreciatively. "Thanks."

Her wandering eyes fell upon Chat's dresser. Did cat beasts need dressers, or were the dressers just for show? Maybe—

All thoughts ceased as she noticed a slightly opened box perched on top of the dresser. She could vaguely hear Chat trying to make conversation, but it sounded muddled in her mind.

She walked up to it, eyes never leaving the piece of light blue fabric poking out of the small box.

"Chat? What's this?"

Marinette heard the bed behind her creak as Chat got off of it. Her hands wandered to the fabric, feeling it for only a moment before pulling it out completely.

She felt Chat's presence behind her, and heard him this time when he said, "C-careful with that, Princess! It's very precious to me."

Marinette turned the fabric over in her hands. A scarf, and not a very good one at that. There was certainly love in the weave, but it was shoddily designed, a few sections tighter or more uneven compared to others.

Like an eight-year-old had made it. An eight-year-old with a crush and a newfound love of sewing.

Holding the scarf in one hand, she pulled up the end with the other. A small strip of fabric had been stitched around it, hiding the end of the scarf. It wasn't a bad design, but it seemed obvious that someone had done it to hide something.

Marinette knew without looking that the other end had a strip around it only to match this one.

Adjusting the scarf to rest along her arm, Marinette maneuvered her fingers between the stitching, her nails digging into the strip.

She pulled, the weak stitches screaming as they gave into her tug.

"M-marinette!" Chat cried out, shocked at her action. He reached forward, ready to stop her.

The strip came off. Chat's hand froze.

Underneath the strip, despite the poor quality, was a name stitched into the fabric.

 _Marinette._

The two were still and silent for the longest time until Marinette set the scarf down on the dresser. She turned, meeting Chat's eyes. Their gaze wasn't unlike their first meeting, full of surprise and wonder.

But then again, that wasn't really their first meeting, was it?

Somehow, Marinette found her voice.

"Adrien?"


	10. Chapter 10 - Ladybug's Touch

_Eight-year-old Adrien Agreste hid carefully behind the nearest tree, peeking out to ensure his father's "hunting party" wasn't around. If he could just have a moment of silence, he'd take it._

 _Not seeing anyone searching for him, he sighed in relief, then smiled to himself._

" _A-adrien?"_

 _Adrien nearly jumped out of his skin. They'd found him. They'd found him already and he'd be scolded for sure by—_

 _He jerked his head back, stopping all thoughts of his father setting the city on fire when he only saw a young girl standing there._

 _She sported a small black dress, the lower half flaring out into a ladybug pattern. Her hair had been bunched up into a bun, which he could see easily given that her head was bowed so low that he couldn't even see her face._

 _He must've taken too long to respond, as she squirmed. "A-ah, er, is it m-mister Adrien? S-sir Adrien? Um—"_

 _Adrien snapped back to reality, giving her a smile even though he imagined that she couldn't see it. "A-adrien's fine. Do you want something?"_

 _He tried to be polite, especially upon noting that her hands were behind her back. She was probably just someone who wanted an autograph or something, though it made him sad to think it._

 _However, her hands moved out from behind her back, a carefully wrapped box now held out to him, even tied with a bow._

" _B-birth—gift. A-this-for-day—I-I-mean—!" she stammered. She took a breath. "T-this is a gift for your day-birth—birthday!"_

 _Adrien's brows raised in surprise. Someone knew his birthday, and remembered it?_

" _This is really for me?"_

 _The girl nodded, head still bowed and her whole body shaking nervously._

 _Adrien stared down at the present like it was some foreign object from another world. The only other person who'd given him a genuine present for his birthday had been Nino._

 _Also Chloe, though it was usually a day or two late._

 _He brought his hands up slowly, reaching for the box. His fingertips brushed hers before he could get a grasp on it._

 _He recoiled, like he'd just been electrocuted. He stared down at his hands, flexing his fingers, then reached out again. His fingers brushed hers once more, but he managed to take the present this time._

 _She drew her own hands back, still staring down at her own feet as she twiddled her fingers._

 _Adrien stroked along the side of the ribbon, undoing it with great care. It came off in one piece. Not wanting to set it on the ground, he gave it a temporary place on his shoulder._

 _He opened the box. His jaw dropped at the blue scarf laying inside. He didn't even need to feel it to realize that it was handmade._

 _He felt it anyway._

 _The scarf was so soft and warm against his touch. Suddenly, he wished he had an occasion to wear it._

" _Y-you made this?"_

 _The girl nodded._

 _Adrien flushed red. There was an inexperience in the making of the scarf, but he could see the love put into it. He couldn't properly express how much he appreciated it._

 _It felt hard to speak all of a sudden. "H-hey. What's your name?"_

 _The girl shifted shyly under his gaze, but he gave her all the time in the world to reply._

 _Unfortunately, the world had other plans, a stern voice calling out from the distance. "Adrien Agreste!"_

 _Adrien flinched, jerking his head to scan the area around him. Now his father was looking for him too? He was in so much trouble._

" _S-sorry, I have to—" He turned back to look at the girl._

 _She was gone. He never even got to see her face._

* * *

Marinette wondered if this was fate. Chat? Chat was Adrien? He was right here the whole time and she never knew?

Things slowly came together, like the pieces of a puzzle. The mystery of Adrien's disappearance was the outer pieces. Chat's humanity and reactions were the inner pieces.

The last piece—the piece that had such an obvious place—was Chat's eyes. When Marinette remembered the boy she loved so dearly and imagined his eyes over Chat's, they had the same vibrance, even though they looked different.

There was a lengthy pause between them, neither making a move towards the other. The years they'd spent apart and the days they'd spent together twisted around them, forming something resembling… what _did_ it resemble, exactly?

Marinette thought about it. It was certainly a strange realization, seeing that this cat had been Adrien all along.

Strange, but not unwelcome. Despite the silence, despite his change in appearance, Marinette realized what she was feeling.

 _Relief._

She took a step forward. Then another. Suddenly, she dove for him.

Chat reacted simultaneously, stepping forward and kneeling down as they crashed into each other. They hugged, tightly but gently.

"I _found_ you," Marinette whispered.

She hadn't expected Chat to say the same in unison with her.

He relaxed, as if realizing that fact too. "You missed me?"

"Yes," she answered immediately. "You missed me too?"

"Yeah."

Marinette flushed, burying her face into his shoulder.

Chat missed her. _Adrien_ missed her.

He continued, "How could I not? I kept your scarf, didn't I?" His voice softened. "You were my Ladybug."

"L-ladybug?"

Chat chuckled. "I never got your name. Your dress…"

"Oh." She giggled. "I can't believe you remember that."

"I'll never forget it."

"And the scarf? You kept it?"

"Of course I did." His voice was so quiet, as if the slightest rise in volume would shatter his windows. "But you... you hid your name on the scarf? Why?"

"I—" Marinette flushed. "I didn't think you'd want to wear my name anywhere you went."

Chat interjected instantly, "I'd wear your name _everywhere._ "

Marinette breathed, positively _overwhelmed_ with emotion. She was hugging Adrien, he was complimenting her, _and_ she was managing not to stutter like a complete fool? It was some kind of miracle.

She managed to calm herself, petting the fur along his chest. A realization hit. "Is _this_ why you left? What happened?"

Chat sighed, but not in an annoyed manner. He had probably known that the question was coming. "It's why I left for _good,_ I guess; not why I left in the first place."

Marinette frowned. "Do you… wanna talk about it?"

"...Do you wanna hear?" His voice was unsure.

"If you want to talk, I want to listen."

She waited, Chat eventually letting go of her in order to stand up. She had to stifle a small whine at the sudden lack of warmth.

He sat down on the bed. She didn't hesitate to sit next to him.

He paused. "My father… he always had me doing so much."

"I know," Marinette chimed in, assuring Chat that he didn't have to go into detail. She knew, when he was Adrien, that he didn't have any free time on his hands.

"It got pretty stressful," he admitted. "I couldn't stay sane unless I got to escape every now and then, so… I'd sneak out."

He looked down, staring at his hands clasped together. "That's how I ended up meeting Nino. He even helped me from time to time. I felt bad, but…"

He smiled fondly. "Nino understood. He had my back." The smile lessened. "But, he wasn't around that night."

 _That night._

Marinette didn't remember the night itself very vividly, but she remembered the very next morning; particularly the lack of Adrien.

"The kwami actually have a job. Whenever they feel like the forest is full of danger, they go out and keep watch to make sure that no one comes through."

His tone dulled. "Plagg was keeping watch that night."

Marinette glanced up at the mention of Plagg. Things were slowly coming together in her head, but she remained quiet, not wanting to assume.

"I guess he found it really boring. He wasn't paying attention and I got through. I was just so upset, I—"

Chat shuddered, hands tightening into fists. Marinette responded accordingly, leaning over to place a gentle hand on one of his.

When he looked over at her in surprise, she gave a reassuring smile.

He nodded, the sense of his unease lessening. "I kept running. I wasn't really thinking about it. I usually ended up right back at the start of the forest anyway—probably from the kwami—but not this time.

"I ran into a witch. She froze me in place and scolded me for trespassing. She looked into my heart for maybe a second and told me that I was running away from everyone that cared about me."

Marinette cut in, not wanting Chat to have to say it himself, "So she changed you."

"She said that she'd make it easy if I wanted to be away from everyone so badly, but…"

Chat glanced over to an empty shelf. "Halfway through the spell, Plagg got in the way. I don't think he knew exactly what he was doing, but he ended up giving up his powers so I didn't end up a _complete_ beast."

He stared down at his hand, looking to be deep in thought. "I still couldn't face anyone like this though. I snuck into my room, took what was the most important to me, and left. Then, the kwami offered to let me stay here. Wayzz tried to find a cure, but it was so complicated, especially since Plagg messed with the spell. Even now, Wayzz still doesn't know how to fix this."

His eyes became distant. "So, I changed my name to Chat Noir and tried not to think about it anymore."

Marinette breathed, trying to absorb all the information she'd just been given. It was a lot, certainly, but compared to what Chat was going through?

She looked up at him. He looked back, but immediately looked away, as if pained.

She brought a hand up, gently turning his head back to her.

"You don't think I care that you're like this, do you?"

Chat glanced off to the side. "Well…"

Marinette was firm. "You being part-cat or whatever didn't stop me from coming here all those times, did it? Why would that change just because I know that you're Adrien?"

Chat's ears flopped with uncertainty. "You aren't even a little disappointed? Come on, Marinette—"

" _Princess,_ " she corrected firmly.

Chat's eyes widened, darting right back to her. His ears perked.

Marinette continued, "You're _alive._ You're _alive and well,_ even if you might look a little different, and…"

The words caught in her throat, a deep blush taking over her face. Her hand trailed down his cheek, coming to a stop at his chest.

She averted her gaze. "Y-you're still _Adrien._ That makes you a nicer sight to me than any other person right now."

She knew deep down what she really wanted to say. That he was still _handsome,_ regardless of his form; that every kind word he'd ever said just made her love him so much more.

Her fears stopped her, reminiscent of the shy young girl she'd been so many years ago. The emotions she felt were still too overwhelming.

She loved Adrien. She _still_ loved Adrien. Adrien was Chat, but she didn't love Chat.

Well… she didn't _think_ she loved Chat, but maybe—

Suddenly, she was against Chat's chest. He'd wrapped his arms around her and was holding her close.

"Thanks," he said softly.

Marinette relaxed, resting her head against him. Her confusing thoughts and conflicting emotions could wait.

Chat was who mattered right now.

"You're welcome." She paused, letting the warmth of the hug sink into her skin, then looked up at him. "Do you still want me to call you Chat?"

"Hm?" Chat pulled away, though only slightly. His expression implied that the thought hadn't even occurred to him. "Ah… yeah, I mean—it kinda feels weird hearing you say my old name."

She giggled. "Chat it is, then."

He nodded, satisfied, then released her completely, going back to sitting normally on the bed. "Sorry about all this."

She shook her head. "No. You... you've been through a lot. It's okay."

She didn't let on just _how_ okay it really was. Her blanket at home was now going to be a pathetic replacement for Chat's hugs.

She added sheepishly, "But there has to be some way to let you out of here every once in a while."

"Like what?" he asked. "I mean, I'd love to, but…"

Marinette considered her options. She couldn't just take Chat into the village and expect everything to be fine. Even if no one completely freaked out at some giant cat person, Chat would probably feel awkward in the middle of so many people.

"Would you—" She hesitated. "—maybe like to meet my parents?"

"Y-your parents?" Chat asked. "But…"

"They won't freak out," Marinette assured. "They didn't freak out at Tikki, and I know they'll _love_ you."

 _Like I do,_ she added mentally.

"You think?" Chat's voice was still riddled with insecurity. Marinette couldn't blame him, given that he'd been away from people for so long.

"We don't have to go _now._ We can wait until you're ready," she offered.

"But… how will we even _get_ me there? Even if we go at night—"

"It's _okay,_ " Marinette said with confidence. "We'll figure it out when the time comes."

She smiled reassuringly. "They really _will_ love you though. I promise."

Chat's ears flicked back, seeming tense. He stared down at the floor, remaining unsure, but when he looked back at her, the doubt faded into trust. "Alright."

She nodded, satisfied, then pushed off the bed. She stood, giving him a reassuring smile as she walked towards the door.

Chat called after her, "Where are you going?"

She turned as she reached the doorway, smiling. "I have something important I need to take care of at home. I just need to stop by Wayzz's room first."

"What?" Chat blinked. It was clear that he wasn't informed of this, because she only just now came up with it. "Do you need something from him? What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Chat," she said, waving a hand. "It's a secret."

She headed out the door and down the hall. She wasn't even able to turn the corner before she heard Chat's cute protest of, "P-princess! You can't just go and do this to me!"

Marinette giggled, resuming her walk.


	11. Chapter 11 - Check for Success

Chat turned, checking himself in the mirror for the tenth time that day. His ear twitched in dissatisfaction, Chat pouting at his reflection.

"Hey, Plagg?"

Plagg didn't look over at him, too busy trying to pry the lid off of a container of cheese. "You're not seriously going to ask me—"

Chat turned, gesturing his arms out. "Yes! Come on, does my fur look okay?"

"You're a _cat,_ " Plagg reminded him with a roll of his eyes. "I don't think baker girl's parents are gonna care about how groomed your fur is."

Chat huffed. " _Marinette,_ " he corrected. "Besides, even if they won't care, I still want to look nice."

He glanced back at the mirror, sighing. "I don't have any other way to look good, so this is the next best thing. I don't want to look like a mess in front of Marinette's parents."

The door creaked open, Pollen poking a polite head in. "Did I hear about a mess?"

Chat glanced over, shoulders easing with relief. "Pollen!" He gestured to his fur, a few tangles in places. "You think you can fix this disaster?"

Pollen flew up to him, running a paw through a simple snag in Chat's fur, undoing it with ease. "I've seen much worse. You can leave it to me, all right?"

Chat nodded, beaming. "You're saving all nine of my lives here."

Plagg snorted in amusement from the shelf.

* * *

Marinette stood at the front door of the castle, knocking politely and waiting with great patience.

She rocked back and forth, her mind still processing exactly what had happened in the past week. Chat, being Adrien? She was essentially going to introduce the love of her life to her parents.

Or, former love of her life? Adrien was her crush and she still felt love there, but she was Chat's friend. Would he feel similarly anyway?

Marinette shook her head, sighing softly and running her fingers through her pigtails.

She silently hoped they were brushed well enough.

On the other side of the door, she heard footsteps. The door opened, Chat smiling at her.

"Hey, Princess!"

Marinette walked in, smiling back. "Hi, kitty."

She paused, eyeing him. "Did you... brush your fur?"

Chat flushed. "Is it that noticeable? I mean... yeah, I did, but does it look like I tried too hard?"

She giggled, flushing herself. Chat really wanted to make a good first impression. "You look great. Does that mean you're ready to go?"

He nodded, lightly brushing his shoulder with a hand. "Yeah." He frowned. "I still don't know how we're gonna get me there in broad daylight though."

"I've been thinking about that," Marinette admitted. "I think Trixx would be a great help."

"Trixx?" Chat echoed.

Without warning, Trixx popped into existence, right on Marinette's shoulder. "You called?"

Marinette jumped, startled. "Trixx! How did you—" She tilted her head in curiosity. "Did you _know_ I was going to ask for your help?"

"I figured," Trixx admitted. "Cat boy's not very good at keeping himself hidden, even as quiet as he is."

Chat pouted, though couldn't argue.

Trixx continued, "Plus, I'm wise since I'm three hundred years old."

"Really?" Marinette asked, surprised.

Trixx shrugged. "I dunno. Probably."

Chat snorted, amused, then turned his full attention to Marinette. "So your plan is to have him make me invisible?"

She nodded. "Does that sound good to you?"

"Yeah." Chat paused, becoming rather sheepish. "Just... what if it wears off or something?"

Trixx reassured him, "I'll be with you the whole way."

"I-I know, but..."

Marinette couldn't blame Chat for his paranoia. If he was suddenly exposed in public, it could make things... well, a little more than awkward.

She hummed in thought, her eyes examining the room in hopes of getting some ideas. Her eyes locked with the blanket on the couch and she grinned.

"How about that?"

Chat's eyes followed her as she walked over to the couch. She pulled the blanket off, then presented it to him. "You can hide under this. If Trixx's powers fade somehow, you'll at least be covered."

Chat's shyness dissipated as he smirked. "And if everyone sees this giant blanket in the middle of the village?"

Marinette considered potential solutions. Realizing she had none, she simply shrugged. "Magic trick?" She added playfully, "My grandmother was a _witch,_ remember?"

Chat laughed, finding the humor hard to argue with. He walked over to her, taking the blanket and letting it unfold itself as he gave it a flap.

He threw it over himself, the yellow fabric managing to cover him for the most part. Simple crouching would fix the rest of the problem.

"How's it feel?" Marinette asked, tugging gently on the blanket to check its stability. "Not too hot?"

"I'll be fine," Chat assured, lifting the front of the blanket just enough so he could see her. "I'll follow behind you, okay?"

Marinette nodded, smiling. "Okay."

Trixx, seeing that as his cue, flew up and waved his paws. Sparkles of orange magic fluttered over Chat, who faded away along with the blanket.

"Chat?" Marinette called, wanting to be sure he was still there.

"What?" he replied. "You can't see my glowing personality?" He feigned a sigh. "People have told me how transparent I've been lately."

Marinette covered her mouth, determined not to let Chat hear her laughing. Keeping her composure, she replied, "Just try not to pun yourself any attention on the way there, okay?"

"I make both no promises and all promises."

* * *

Even as Marinette walked onto the village with the invisible Chat, an equally invisible Trixx hanging out on her shoulder, she could still discern that Chat was walking behind her. Though his footsteps were quiet, Chat radiated a comfortable warmth, which was something she'd known for a long while.

Wanting to keep him distracted, Marinette whispered back to him, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright, Princess." His voice wavered, but she believed him. A little nervousness was normal. "The village hasn't changed much, huh?"

"Not really," Marinette confirmed. "Oh, and don't worry. We're almost there."

Chat let out a small noise to confirm he'd heard her, probably wanting to talk as little as possible.

Before Marinette could reach her home, an unwanted voice called out from the distance. "Talking to yourself over there, Marinette?"

Marinette sighed. "Just keep walking."

She stopped when she couldn't feel Chat's warmth anymore.

"Is that...?"

Marinette understood immediately. Adrien and Chloe used to be friends, didn't they?

Chloe approached. Marinette became stiff, unsure how to deal with Chloe's attitude in front of Chat.

Chloe grinned cruelly. "Did your fake friends dump you? You have imaginary ones now?"

Marinette squinted. Chloe just had to bring her friends into this, didn't she?

"Imaginary friends. Yeah, totally," Marinette said, not even bothering to sound convincing.

"Of course. Lifeless Marinette needs some company now and then because no one will talk to her, right?"

Marinette went to interject, only for a voice to interrupt. It belonged to Trixx.

"Funny. That's exactly what I thought about you."

Chloe's eyes widened. She glared, looking around for the source of the voice. "Who said that?!"

"Marinette's imaginary friend, of course," Trixx replied, still invisible on Marinette's shoulder. "What, you thought she was kidding?"

Chloe kept looking around, but her eyes always brought her back to where the source of the voice was, leaving her unbelievably confused. It was beautiful, really. If given the opportunity, Marinette would've painted Chloe's face and put it on her wall.

Trixx wasn't even done. "You know, I've never had the displeasure of meeting someone like you, but I can see why Marinette never talks about you. You're not even worth the mention."

"W-what?!" Chloe sputtered, a glorious mix of confused and offended. "How dare you speak to me like—"

"Marinette, did you hear something?" Trixx asked. "Shouldn't we be hurrying back home?"

Marinette was struggling not to laugh. She had no idea if Trixx ate food but she would make him at least a hundred of whatever he liked. "Yeah, let's go."

She turned, thankful that she felt Chat's warmth behind her as she walked away, even if he took a moment to follow.

Chloe was fuming. "Hey! Don't just walk away from me! I—"

She went to follow, but froze as she noticed that her screaming had attracted unwanted attention. Reluctantly, she stopped herself from taking further action.

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Trixx. You really saved me a lot of time."

"Don't worry about it, Mari," Trixx assured. "We're all friends here."

Marinette nodded, smiling as she stared straight ahead so not to look suspicious by gazing at what looked like nothing on her shoulder.

Chat's voice piped up, "Would she really have kept going?"

Marinette flinched. There weren't any people in earshot if them, but she hasn't expected him to speak up.

She couldn't lie to him. "Y-yeah. She doesn't like me. Sorry."

"No, it's okay," Chat insisted. "I just... didn't know she was like that now."

Marinette didn't know what sort of comfort she could provide. She tried her best. "I don't think it had anything to do with you disappearing."

"It's okay, Princess," Chat assured. "She was my first friend, yeah, but she wasn't my only one. I had Nino, and then the kwami. Our friendship was... there, but it never really became anything special."

"Oh..."

Marinette frowned, but then was suddenly bumped from behind by Chat.

He chuckled. "You worry about me too much."

She smiled. "I can't worry about you?"

"I never said that."

"I know."

Marinette paused, but deliberately for dramatic effect. "Oh, and Chat?"

"What?"

"...We're here."


	12. Chapter 12 - Warm Welcomes

"W-we're _what?_ " Chat asked in a woeful state of unpreparedness.

Marinette giggled, repeating, "We're here."

Before Chat could respond, Marinette added, " _And,_ the bakery's closed for the rest of the day. I also had Tikki tell them that I was bringing someone who's from the castle but _isn't_ a kwami, so they won't be surprised just by the fact that you're part-cat."

She placed her hand on the doorknob. Chat chuckled sheepishly. "You really planned everything out for me."

She smiled. "You don't deserve anything less."

She pushed the door open, walking inside just enough to let Chat in. She felt the fabric or the blanket brush her leg, then let the door close behind her.

"Maman! Papa! I'm coming in!" she shouted, proclaiming her presence given that the two weren't in the current room.

She turned vaguely in Chat's direction. "They should be in the living room."

She walked along the wooden floor, going through the doorway to the living room. As she'd expected, her parents were waiting patiently on the couch. Tikki was off on the other side of the room, eating sweets and trying to keep to herself.

Tom waved. "Welcome back, Marinette. Where's your guest?"

Sabine smiled, clasping her hands together enthusiastically. "We've been very excited to meet them!"

Marinette gestured for them to calm themselves. "He's right here." She glanced to her shoulder. "Trixx?"

Trixx appeared on her shoulder, floating up just to plop down a shelf. "Hey," he greeted cooly. He waved a paw, magical sparkles swirling around. They fell, drawn to where the invisible Chat was. He became visible, though he was still crouched with the blanket still draped over him.

Marinette blinked. "Chat?"

"I-I'm okay," he assured, voice implying he was still steeling himself up.

Tom stood, approaching them. "This is our guest?"

"Ah, he's just—" She paused, squinting. The fact that Tom had gotten up was inherently suspicious. "Wait, Papa—"

"He won't even come out to see us!" Tom gestured outwards dramatically. "He's being quite the wet blanket if ask me."

 _Ugh._ She should've been prepared for that.

Marinette went to scold him, but was cut off as Chat suddenly broke into a fit of giggling from underneath the blanket.

Tom was _elated._ "Marinette! You didn't tell me you were bringing a fellow pun-lover!"

The realization that she'd done so only now struck Marinette. Maybe she'd made a horrible mistake.

Sabine got up from the couch as well, approaching Chat with care. She grabbed the front of the blanket, pulling it up slowly and exposing Chat's crouched form to her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, surprised but not at all disgusted. "Hello there."

Chat let out a small squeak, the giggling halting. He was embarrassed, but equally as polite as she was. "H-hello, ma'am."

He shifted, probably finally realizing how uncomfortable all this crouching was doing for him. He straightened, standing at his full height and letting the blanket fall to the floor.

"Well now!" Tom said. "So we've got a cat guest, hm?"

He leaned close, Chat only recoiling very slightly.

Tom whispered, "So, how are the perks, pun-wise?"

Chat couldn't seem to wipe the smile from his face. It was as if his unease suddenly never existed. His tail swished happily. "They're great, sir."

Tom let out a loud guffaw, patting Chat on the shoulder. "This is a good boy you've brought, Marinette!"

Marinette smiled. Unfortunately, she couldn't argue with the magic of puns making Chat more comfortable.

Chat bowed. "Thank you very much for having me, Mister and Missus..."

"Dupain-Cheng," Sabine finished. "But you can just call us Tom and Sabine."

Chat flushed, introducing himself in return. "Chat Noir, but Chat's the short version."

Tom nodded, satisfied. "Well! Glad to have you, Chat!"

Marinette—happy that everyone was having a good conversation—turned, starting to head upstairs.

Chat called after her, "Marinette?"

She stopped, waving back at him. "I'm just going upstairs. You can join me in my room after you're done talking with my parents, okay?"

She trusted both him and her parents wholeheartedly. It was great to see Chat talk with other humans, even if her parents weren't aware that Chat used to be human at all. He didn't need to rely on her for human communication, and the thought didn't discourage her, but rather warmed her.

Chat stared at her, seeming unsure, but that was quickly replaced with trust. He nodded.

Marinette headed upstairs, being sure to close the door behind her.

Tikki phased through the door, following after her. "Do you need help?"

Marinette smiled. "Just with a few finishing touches."

* * *

There was a knock on the door. Marinette shoved her work underneath the bed.

Just in time.

"Marinette?" Chat's voice was gentle, as always.

"You can come in!" she replied. She grinned at Tikki, who returned it.

The door opened slowly, Chat stepping in and closing it behind him for the sake of privacy. Tikki phased through to give them alone time.

Marinette hummed. "So~?"

"So?" Chat echoed.

"Didn't I tell you they'd love you?"

His eyes lit up. "Oh, Marinette, your parents are _amazing!_ " He seemed too taken with his own excitement that he had forgotten he'd ever been worried. "They just talked to me like I was a normal person, and your father makes the best jokes, and..."

He trailed off, flushing as he realized he was getting side-tracked. He approached her, sitting down with his legs crossed.

"A-anyway, ah... thanks a lot."

Marinette tried not to blush at the thanks. She failed. "It's no big deal."

"It _is_ though. It's been so long since I've talked to more than one person and... it's nice."

Chat was staring at her so _earnestly._ Marinette found herself unable to maintain eye contact and looked away, cheeks pink. She stood up, walking over to her table and pretending to be distracted by moving the clutter around.

"S-so," she began, trying to make conversation, "are you going to tell them your secret?"

"Mm?" Chat glanced up at her, then down at the floor in thought. "Oh. That I'm Adrien?"

She nodded.

"I-I don't think so. I just like it being our secret for now," he replied. He wasn't fully confident, but sounded comfortable enough with his decision that Marinette didn't feel the need to press further.

She silently figured that now would be as good of a time as any. "...Hey, Chat?"

"Yeah?"

Marinette opened her sketchpad to a random page. "I kicked something under the bed by accident. I need it for my inspiration. Can you—"

Chat was already moving to search under the bed. She giggled.

She heard a light shuffling. "Is it this box?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Marinette replied with false innocence.

Chat straightened, arm outstretched as he held out the box to her. Marinette didn't move.

A long moment passed. Chat's ear twitched. He glanced down at her hands, perhaps wondering why they weren't moving.

He looked back up at her. Then down to the box. Then up at her. Then to the box.

When he looked up at her again, his tail twitched instead. Marinette could see the subtle way his eyes stared into her, adorable gears turning in his adorable head. She only looked at him expectantly.

She would never need an actual kitten as long as she had Chat.

Chat's eyes went wide. He fumbled with the box, but managed not to drop it. "W-wait, Marinette!"

Marinette smiled teasingly. "Aren't you going to open it, kitty?"

"You can't just give me—you've already—your parents—" he stammered.

"So you don't want to know what's inside?"

Chat pouted, his attempt at looking upset with her so completely pathetic. He stared at the box, brows furrowed with determination.

His self-control only lasted about five seconds. The top of the box came off, which he set gently to the side.

He stared at the box's contents for a moment, as if his brain was still processing what he was seeing.

He met Marinette's eyes. "...Clothes?" he uttered. "For me?"

Marinette nodded wordlessly. Chat gazed into the box again, trailing a hand inside to feel the fabric.

"You made them?"

"Mhm."

"And..." Chat squinted, eyeing the short-sleeved jacket in particular. "Aren't these...?"

"The clothes you were wearing on the day I gave you the scarf," Marinette confirmed, though suddenly sheepish, having not expected him to pick up on it so fast. "I-I thought they might help you feel more human."

Chat's eyes were shimmering, clearly overwhelmed. Marinette wanted nothing more that to hug him, but also didn't want to overstep any bounds.

He chuckled. "And... you do all this after you made fun of me for remembering your ladybug dress?"

"I didn't make fun of you," she reminded him with a smile, though aware he was teasing her. "I thought it was sweet."

"Ah, but then you go and make _secret plans_ with Wayzz to get clothing books or something and make these _behind my back!_ " He smiled back at her, voice still soft. "You _betrayed_ me, Princess."

Marinette shrugged, kneeling down to pull out the white jacket. She held it open for him, letting him see her work in full. "I needed to make sure I was doing the work right."

Chat took the jacket, examining it. "So... I can really wear this?"

She chuckled. "What do you think?"

"...I think you're twice as amazing as I already thought you were."

After a few minutes, given that he'd been so used to going without clothes, Chat was dressed. Marinette had spared him the black shirt due to how hot it would've felt in combination with the jacket on a furry body, but the white jacket and blue pants were clearly not spared on in quality. They'd fit Chat's form perfectly, and Chat's grin was _massive._

Marinette smiled knowingly. "Do they fit okay?"

Chat jerked his head over to her, as if offended that she would even _ask._ "I don't want you to ever ask anything like that again. Of _course_ they fit great! _You_ made them!"

He bent down to her level, taking her hand in his own. " _Seriously,_ Marinette, how do you ever expect me to pay you back for this? I..."

He paused. His expression dropped. "I-I don't have anything to give back. I'm just a cat. My father's rich, but I ran away, so I can't give you anything a normal Agreste could offer."

Marinette softened, reaching her free hand up toward Chat's face. Though he recoiled at the sight, her hand made contact with his cheek and he instantly relaxed.

"If I'm a princess, doesn't that mean I get a right to spoil you a little?" she asked.

She lightly scratched at his fur to emphasize her point. Chat leaned in further, not responding, but thinking about her words.

"Besides, you..." She smiled. "You're Adrien, and I found you again. You helped me feel more confident. Why _wouldn't_ I want to do all this for you?"

"M-marinette." He gently squeezed her hand.

She wasn't done. "Besides, I wasn't lying when I asked you to get me those clothes. You _are_ my inspiration."

They stared into each other's eyes, cheeks flushed. They didn't speak, but they _understood._

Chat understood that emotional gifts couldn't be measured to physical ones, and Marinette understood that Chat was still working on feeling less self-conscious about himself. They both understood that they needed each other to work out the rest of the kinks.

Suddenly realizing how close they were, they shifted, both wanting to make a move but neither feeling bold enough to execute it.

They pulled away simultaneously, instead finding comfort with simply smiling at each other.


	13. Chapter 13 - Yes or Nino

If Chat could describe his time with the Dupain-Chengs in one word, it would be eye-opening.

...Okay, so he was cheating a little, but his point still stood!

When he'd first become part-cat, Chat had initially thought that everyone would turn him away. Not just due to appearance, but because he imagined it'd be difficult to keep someone like him around. It would certainly give someone a strange reputation if found out.

The Dupain-Chengs didn't care. Marinette treated Chat with nothing but kindness while her parents acted as if Chat was their own son. It almost put Chat on edge, making him believe that they had an ulterior motive.

But he knew they didn't, and being part of a whole family for the first time in his life had Chat reeling. He knew he could never truly repay them, but as long as they enjoyed his presence, who was he to complain?

Chat sighed blissfully as he thought about it, laying on his back as he stared at the ceiling of Marinette's room. Such a short time in paradise already had him feeling spoiled, but he never let it go to his head.

He glanced over, eyeing Marinette as she sat on the small loveseat across the room. Her attire had changed to something lighter; a small white shirt with thick black pants. Her ponytail holders had been placed on the table a while ago, meaning her gorgeous black hair was down and was _just_ brushing the top of her pale shoulders.

Chat swallowed involuntarily and forced himself to stop looking.

"Everything okay, Chat?" she called to him. "Do you need something?"

Chat peeked over at her through the corner of his vision. "Ah, not at all, Princess. I was just thinking."

She smiled, tucking one side of her hair behind her ear. "About what?"

Chat flushed. His Ladybug was honestly too pure.

Upon closer inspection, Chat noticed the subtle way Marinette had hunched over her sketchpad. Her shoulders were stiff and the way she twisted to look at him didn't seem quite right.

Chat sat up, adjusting his jacket to fix anything that might've happened while he was lying down. "Marinette, can I do something for you?"

She blinked. "Chat, I already said you didn't—"

"I know," he replied. "I want to anyway."

She paused, studying his expression, then nodded. She seemed to believe him. "Okay, what is it?"

Chat hesitated, hoping he didn't sound too forward. "Can I... give you a massage?"

"A massage?" Marinette echoed.

He nodded. "Y-you seem a little tense."

"Do I?" Marinette reached over to her shoulder, feeling it. "You can tell?"

"I can, but you wouldn't be able to," Chat explained. "You get used to it after a while."

"Hm." Marinette hummed in thought, her cheeks a cute shade of pink. "Alright, if you think you can help."

Chat stood up, approaching her. She shifted back, and at first he was worried that his height had intimidated her for once, but then he realized that she was just making room for him on the couch.

He sat down next to her, eyeing her as she turned her back to him.

She moved her hair forward, trying to make sure it wouldn't get in the way. "You sound like you've had experience, kitty."

"Only kinda," Chat replied, wanting to be honest. "My... my mother used to do this for me."

"...A lot?"

"Yeah." Chat's voice had become more melancholy. "Even before she left, I still got stressed out a lot from all of my things my father asked of me."

He placed his hand along Marinette's back, waiting for a moment to see if there was any sign that she wasn't okay with this. When he saw none, he slid his hand up her shoulder blade, feeling the bone structure. Memories returned to him, the subtle motions of his mother's touch rushing back at him, starting to make more sense.

Marinette turned her head slightly to show she was giving him attention. "She left?" After a pause, she immediately tried to take it back. "Ah, sorry..."

Chat chuckled, finding it adorable. "No, it's okay. My father probably tried to cover it up or something, and I was pretty vague the last time I talked about her."

Feeling confident in his memory and his exploration of Marinette's bone structure, he gripped her shoulder gently and began massaging it. Marinette's reaction was instantaneous. She let out a small startled noise, but it didn't worry Chat, as that was the exact sound he used to make when his first muscle was relaxed.

"I-I'm just surprised," Marinette admitted, unconsciously leaning into Chat's touch. "She must've loved you, but she left?"

Chat eased his other hand on her remaining shoulder. "I guess it was just really stressful, you know? She had to deal with my father even more than I did, and... well, dealing with me too—"

"Chat!" Marinette chided.

"I don't mean it like that!" Chat assured. "Just... she had to keep her sanity with all of my father's work _and_ keep me happy. It was... probably really rough on her, doing both. I don't think she hated me for it, but..."

Marinette nodded, seeming deep in thought, her shoulders had relaxed from the massage, though she was perhaps leaning too far back now, her head nearly against Chat's chest.

He didn't say anything, instead adjusting Marinette himself. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer, then began to knead his hand into her side.

Marinette relaxed further, letting out a sound of comfort. "I-I guess that makes sense. I don't think she minded having to comfort you though?"

"Mm?"

"I-I mean..." She chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, it takes time to comfort someone, but if it's someone you enjoy being with, doesn't that make it seem all the more worth it?"

Chat paused. He smirked. "You sound like you're speaking from some kind of experience, Princess."

He could see a blush creeping up her ears. "A-ah, well, yeah."

Amused, he moved her again, though this time rotating her around to see her face. She flushed deeper, leaning into him to hide her face in his chest.

Chat flushed. Okay, he probably deserved it after flustering her like that.

Swallowing, he drew his hand along her back while the other massaged her remaining side. Marinette mumbled appreciations into his fur.

"A-anyway, of course I miss her, but I get why she left."

Marinette peered up at him. "You don't blame yourself?"

"Not nearly as much as I used to."

She frowned, but accepted that, probably understanding that further pressing would only worsen things. Chat just smiled, resuming the massage.

Marinette squeaked softly. "W-well, either way, you're definitely good at this."

"Ah." Chat smiled wider. "Is the princess going to hire me as her personal masseuse?"

"O-only every day of the week," Marinette replied, trying to sound teasing but also lost in his motions.

Chat felt Marinette's hand touch his chest, moving along his fur to return the favor. Chat stiffened, feeling a purr threatening to bubble up in his throat.

When it finally came out, it sounded strangled from his attempt to resist it, Marinette glancing up at him with concern.

She smiled upon thinking about it. "You don't have to hide that from me."

"I-I know." Chat flushed. "It's just... embarrassing."

Marinette stopped petting him, accepting that. Chat missed her touch immediately, but wasn't quite willing to take back what he said.

A voice—Sabine's—called up to them from downstairs, the world deciding to move in on their moment.

"Marinette!"

Marinette straightened on alert, as if realizing something. She pushed herself off of Chat, quickly realizing how unprepared she was to leave her room. She got off the couch, grabbing her ponytail holders to put her hair up again.

Chat chuckled, amused as her fast movements.

"Yeah, Maman?" Marinette shouted back.

"Nino's here!"

Chat stopped chuckling.

Marinette froze, halfway through putting up her second ponytail. Slowly, she turned her head to Chat, whose eyes were a whole mix of emotions.

She quickly finished with her hair, then walked over to him. "Chat?"

He jerked over to her, seeming dazed. "H-huh? Yes?"

Marinette pursed her lips in thought. "You... I mean, we can go down together?"

Chat's eyes searched the room blindly, looking at anywhere but her. "I-I, um..."

"If you're not ready..." Marinette trailed off.

After a pause, Chat simply nodded. Though she hadn't asked a question, Marinette understood.

Revealing himself to her parents was one thing. His best friend was another.

"I'll be back in a bit, okay?"

Chat seemed too deep in thought to answer. She turned, moving to the door and opening it. She headed downstairs upon closing it behind her, leaving Chat to think.

Sabine was waiting at the bottom of the steps with a smile. Nino was next to her, seeming distracted until Marinette's foot hit the last stair.

He smiled at her. "Hey, Marinette. You still want to talk today?"

Marinette fumbled, "Ah..."

She rubbed the back of her neck, casting a glance upstairs. "About Adrien? Yeah, we can still talk."

Sabine offered them tea and cupcakes, which they took graciously. Sabine _always_ gave them tea and cupcakes for their talks.

They sat at their usual table, like it were muscle memory at that point. Talking about Adrien was their standard, and it had become so easy to slide into friendship once Alya had introduced Nino to Marinette. Nino had caught a drawing of Adrien in Marinette's sketchpad and it was solidified from there.

Nino picked up the cupcake, taking a lick of the frosting. "Did you know that Adrien had a sweet tooth?"

"He did?" Marinette asked reflexively. Honestly, Nino might've told her that at least a dozen times. She wasn't sure. She was distracted.

The atmosphere was off, Marinette tapping at the side of her cup in an attempt to ease herself. She didn't have to say anything about Adrien, because she didn't feel sadness over Adrien's disappearance anymore.

And that was because of the big cat currently in her room.

Nino continued, "Oh yeah. His dad never let him have sweets, so he just ate them whenever I snuck him some."

Marinette nodded, not having to be reminded of Gabriel's poor behavior. She knew enough from what Chat had told her.

Nino kept talking about Adrien. Of course he did. They both loved him more than nearly anyone else did.

Though, as he talked, Marinette forced herself out of her distracted state as Nino's tone clicked with her.

He sounded different today. His voice was more quiet, more thoughtful. Despite talking so highly about his precious memories of eating sweets with Adrien, he didn't take a bite of his cupcake, nor even another lick of the frosting.

Minutes passed, Marinette wondering if the different atmosphere wasn't just her doing. Was she just too distracted worrying about Chat and was pushing her own emotions onto Nino's face?

Nino gestured out with a hand, talking more extensively about a time he and Adrien had snuck off to play at his house. They'd apparently joked about disguises that would help Adrien blend in more.

But, though such a thing was clearly a happy memory, Marinette noticed the subtle furrow of Nino's brows and the way he would grab the cupcake—even moving it haphazardly around the table—but never eat it. Marinette had even tried taking a bite of her own cupcake, hoping Nino would see and mirror her, but he didn't.

"And then..." Nino paused, looking her up and down. "Something up, Marinette?"

She flinched, realizing she was caught. "Ahh, sorry. I was just..." She looked away, taking a sip of her tea. "You seem different today, that's all."

Nino's hand went slack on the table. "Oh."

He sighed, sounding irritated with himself. He ran a hand along his forehead. "I'm sorry. I've just been thinking about a lot lately. I'm not trying to ruin our thing on purpose."

"You're not!" Marinette assured. She went to speak up again, but hesitated, reading his expression.

He hadn't eaten his cupcake. Even when talking about eating sweets with Adrien, he didn't even look at it. That only meant one thing.

"...Is it about Adrien?"

Nino straightened, once again surprised. Marinette just gazed at him, trying to encourage him to talk using her eyes.

He relaxed, frowning. "Yeah. It's—I mean—I've been seeing you go out into the forest so much and... it reminded me of something."

He glanced at her. "Did you know that I used to help Adrien sneak out, really late into the night? And I mean _really_ sneak away, like, into the forest."

Marinette feigned innocence. "No." After all, this is one story Nino had never told her.

"His mom used to take him out at night. That's what he told me. " Grabbing his cup, Nino moved it in a circle and watched the tea swish around. "Even before he had so much to do, she still did it. She even took him out for sweets sometimes. I think it was because she knew what his dad was gonna put him through, y'know? She wanted him to have fun while he still could."

Marinette cringed. "She must've loved him a lot."

"Yeah, I bet. I only got to see her a few times before she disappeared."

Marinette drew her gaze up to him, acting as if she hadn't just heard about this. "Wait... disappeared? I thought she was dead."

Nino shook his head. "That was the cover-up. I guess Adrien's dad didn't want it getting out that she just up and left him."

Marinette honestly hadn't known that the cover-up existed aside from what Chat had implied, but now she could confirm. She knew of Missus Agreste, but her experience with Adrien spanned beyond the time that she was around. Plus, her and Nino had both been young, so naturally they wouldn't have heard of it. Nino probably only knew that she'd left from what Adrien had told him, in addition to what he learned everyone else _thought_ they knew after the fact.

Nino called out to her, "Marinette?"

Marinette shook her head, but kept the thought in the back of her mind. "A-anyway, what does that have to do with you?"

Nino's face fell. "Well... I just know that he snuck out that night he disappeared. We usually plan it, but I knew his schedule was extra-packed that day."

His shoulders slumped. "I didn't really think about it until now, but maybe if I would've just gone with him..."

Marinette's fingers tightened around her cup. She wanted so badly to tell him that it wouldn't have mattered.

"N-nino, you can't..." She hesitated, trying to collect her thoughts. "Adrien... I'm sure he wouldn't be mad at you, if that's what you're thinking."

Nino didn't reply, but he met her gaze, of which she kept firm.

"What happened that night... that was just terrible, but I know Adrien would never get upset with you."

When Nino looked away in thought, Marinette chewed at her bottom lip. How much comfort could she really provide, not knowing how much she could say without being considered suspicious?

Nino was quiet for a few more seconds, then finally picked up his cupcake. He stared at it, clearly reminiscing, then took a bite.

He smiled at Marinette. "Thanks. I just miss him. It's hard not to think about him."

Marinette nodded. She couldn't share the feeling of missing, but she still thought about Adrien—about Chat—all the time.

Nino grabbed his cup of tea, swallowing it in one huge gulp. He gagged. "Ugh, should've drank that before it got cold."

He glanced towards the other room, where Tom and Sabine were cleaning up for the day, probably with Tikki. "Thanks for the snack, Missus Cheng!"

Sabine peeked in. "Leaving already?"

Nino chuckled, now in better spirits. "Yeah. I promised myself I wouldn't stick around too long this time."

Marinette went to speak, but could only utter a small, "Um..."

He looked over at her. "Unless you still have something else to say, Marinette?"

"A-ah..." _He's here._ "No. Not really." _Adrien's here. He misses you too._ "That's why I was so quiet this time." _If you'd just wait a minute, I could go talk to him, and..._

Nino picked up his cupcake with a smile. "I figured. All designed out or something?"

Marinette could only nod. She watched quietly as Nino left the room, the soft clicking sound of the door confirming that he'd left.

Not even a minute later, her bedroom door opened, Chat standing in the doorway.

"H-hey, I—!" He paused, looking around the room. He descended the stairs silently, peeking into the bakery.

He frowned. "He already left?"

Marinette approached him, nodding sadly. "I can go after him?"

Chat considered it. "...No, that's okay. I wasn't _actually_ ready."

He breathed up. "I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing now."

Tom walked in, addressing him, "If you're worried about showing yourself to Nino, he's a good kid. He wouldn't tell a soul."

Chat smiled sheepishly, a bit embarrassed. "Y-yeah, I—ah—figured, since he's Marinette's friend and everything."

He squatted down, lowering his voice to Marinette so Tom and Sabine wouldn't hear. "Even if Wayzz is going to a way to change me back to normal, I left Nino in the dark about this for years. He deserves to know."

Marinette studied his thoughtful gaze. "Are you worried that he'll be mad at you?"

"No," Chat answered confidently. "He's... He's such a great friend. I'd have to try really hard to get him mad at me."

She beamed. It was wonderful, seeing Chat so confident about something. "Do you still need some time to think then?"

He smirked. "Am I still allowed to use your room, Princess?"

She chuckled, giving him a simple look to imply that he didn't even need to ask.

He clearly got the message. He stood up, walking over to one of the shelves and lining his hand up with it. "Wanna join me, Trixx?"

Trixx faded into existence, apparently having been laying there the whole time. He looked up at Chat with an amused smile. "Sure. Why not?"

He pushed himself off the shelf, lazily yet somehow gracefully rolling down Chat's arm to lay on his shoulder. Chat grinned, turning around and heading back upstairs.

Marinette watched him fondly, then turned to her parents. They were grinning at her.

She stiffened. "W-what?"

Tom raised his brows in amusement. "He calls you Princess?"

Marinette squeaked, flushing red. "I-it's just a nickname!"

She threw her hands up, trying to dismiss whatever notion her parents were thinking about. She turned her back to them, returning to her chair and sitting down.

She had other things to think about.


	14. Chapter 14 - The Mother of All Decisions

Marinette's thought processes were usually two things: short and not specific enough, or long and obviously too intricate for any sane person to handle. The signs that she was thinking too hard were obvious, particularly as she sat at the table stirring her cold cup of tea.

She suddenly wondered about why cold tea was so frowned upon. It tasted bad for most people, but did that give them a right to judge a drink based solely on temperature? The ingredients were the same, after all.

Oops, she took a sip. That meant that she was not only making the mistake of drinking cold tea, which disgusted most people, but she was slowly sipping away at what was once a full cup of tea. Surely, this experience would scar the poor tea for the rest of its life.

Of course, if she drank all of it, then no one would have to know of her conquest of this single cup of tea. Maybe the tea even _wanted_ to be gulped down with reckless abandon, its mark on the world limited to staining on the cup that was so easily washed away. After that, more tea would move into its former home of the cup, creating generations of tea that will either go cold or not.

Then again, who was Marinette to assume whether or not the tea was a pessimist? The easiest solution was just to drink half.

That way, she could see if the tea thought it was half-full or half-empty.

...Clearly, Tom and Chat had far too much influence on her.

Breaking her tea-ridden thought process, Tikki flew into the room, calling out to her, "Marinette?"

"Huh?" Marinette snapped to attention, glancing over. "Yeah?"

Tikki smiled, a hint of concern behind it. "I wanted to check on you. You've been thinking ever since yesterday, and it's already getting late."

Marinette looked out the window, just to confirm. Indeed, the sky was growing increasingly dark, the moon bright and shining its light through the glass.

She frowned. "Ah, I've just been thinking about everything that's happened. That's all."

She chose not to comment further, aware that Tikki wasn't experienced in human interaction. The time since meeting Chat was unique, and Marinette thought it best to sort out what to do next on her own.

Offering that Chat visit or stay at her house whenever he wanted was obvious. Having him meet her parents was obvious. And yet, what was the next step if Wayzz was unable to help? Would Chat be satisfied having only three people in his life while being unable to truly explore the world? Was that something she could just ask him?

Well, at the very least, Marinette could think of at least one thing she could offer.

"Tikki? Can you ask my parents to come over here for a bit?"

One nod and a minute later, Tom and Sabine walked in, having just finished cleaning up the bakery part on the house.

Sabine stepped forward first, wary eyes peeking into the nearly full cup of tea on the table; an obvious sign that something was on Marinette's mind. "Something wrong, Marinette?"

"Not really _wrong,_ " Marinette replied, trying not to look too deep in thought. She placed her hand over the cup to hide its fullness. "I was wondering if you could help me with something."

They stared at her expectantly. Even Tikki had taken a seat on Tom's shoulder, equally curious.

Marinette chewed at her bottom lip, waiting the moment out and considering how much she wanted to say. She shifted in her seat, then glanced up the stairs. Her bedroom door was closed, as it had been since she'd started thinking.

"...Hold on." Marinette stood, heading over to the stairs. She walked up to the top, then knocked politely. "Chat? Can we talk?"

A few seconds passed. There was no response. She hesitated, fearing ruining some semblance of Chat's privacy, but curiosity won over. She opened the door.

The room was devoid of both Chat and Trixx, confusing Marinette further. Upon closer inspection, she also noticed that the window was open, the night sky dark and ominous.

She peeked out of her bedroom. "Did Chat say anything about going anywhere?"

Tom shook his head. "Don't think so. He didn't leave a note?"

Marinette checked, but found nothing. It worried her, but she also trusted Chat and had a feeling that he wasn't in any sort of imminent danger.

Though it _did_ mean she would have to make her decision without him.

Marinette left her room, pausing as she held onto the door. She stared, as if the simple act would make Chat reappear, but it did nothing. She shut the door behind her and walked back downstairs.

She breathed up, shaking the experience off as she looked at her parents resolutely.

"I want to find Missus Agreste."

* * *

An invisible Trixx smiled calmly as an equally invisible Chat walked through the village. "No blanket this time?"

Chat didn't smile, but his tone remained light. "It's dark out. It feels safer in the dark."

Trixx hummed. "You left pretty suddenly."

Chat sighed, shaking his head. "I know. We'll go right back afterward."

The village at night was exactly how Chat remembered it. With so few people around and nearly all of the shops closing up, it had been the perfect time to make a getaway back when he was young. Though the last getaway had weighed heavily on his mind, the scenery itself filled him with pleasant memories.

He stopped as he arrived at his destination: Nino's house. It was moderately-sized, but not overly to the point where one might think that the owners had substantial wealth. Conveniently, it was also close to the forest.

Chat's shoulders stiffened, but he kept walking. He stepped around the house strategically, now between the forest and the house itself. This way, there wasn't anyone in eyesight anymore.

Chat peeked through the window, sighing in relief when he realized that it was just Nino inside. Though, unfortunately, it now meant he had to go through with this.

Raising a shaky hand to the window, he knocked. Nino's eyes darted towards him, Chat flinching instinctively before remembering that he was invisible.

Nino raised a brow, likely confused that there seemed to be no cause of the knocking. Chat knocked again. Finally, Nino stood up, approaching him.

Chat slipped away from the window, bracing himself against the wall. He heard the window giving way to Nino's pulling.

"Hello?" Nino called out, looking left and right.

Chat steeled himself up. It'd be so long since he'd heard Nino's voice. He'd missed it.

"H-hey, Nino."

A long silence followed. The leaves on the forest's trees rustled. Chat began to fear that he hadn't been heard.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted.

"Adrien?"

Chat's breath hitched. Nino; he recognized Chat's voice, even after all these years. Chat had been so certain that the years of time and his transformation had made it too different.

"A-adrien?" Nino called again. Chat finally glanced over, seeing Nino look around more frantically.

Chat felt an encouraging pat against his neck, courtesy of Trixx. He nodded to himself. "Y-yeah, it's me. Sorry, I can't really show myself yet."

"You—what?" Nino shook his head, now overwhelmed. "Wait—but you're okay? You're alive? You're back after all these years?"

"Yeah," Chat answered softly. "I'm sorry. I should've told you when you were at Marinette's house."

"Marinette's..." Nino paused. "Marinette knew you were here?"

"Only for a while now, and I asked her not to tell you yet."

"What? Dude, why?" Nino didn't sound offended, but certainly shocked.

"I... I wasn't ready to tell you," Chat admitted. He hesitated, not sure if Nino would believe him when he said it. He said it anyway. "I missed you though."

"...I missed you too." Nino took a moment to breathe. "Where have you been?"

"There's this abandoned castle in the forest. I stayed there all this time. Marinette found me a while ago by accident."

Nino was quiet.

"There's... other stuff too, but I don't think you'd believe me yet." Chat chuckled weakly. "At least not until you see me."

"Then why are you hiding?" Nino paused, then shook his head. "Wait, sorry—I don't mean it like—"

"I know," Chat assured. "It's just... the day I disappeared, a lot of things happened. I was afraid of showing myself to anyone."

"Even me," Nino muttered. It wasn't a question.

Chat cringed. "That's why I don't want to show myself right away. I figured you were already mad at me for leaving, so I..."

Nino huffed, crossing his arms. He sharpened his gaze. "Show me."

"W-what?"

"Come on, man!" Nino gestured outwards, not angry, but impatient. "Show yourself already!"

Chat wanted to protest, but stopped himself. Nino had always been firm and unmoving when it came to something that he was serious about.

He glanced at Trixx, then moved, standing directly in front in Nino. Trixx left his shoulder, likely flying off a small distance. Chat felt a tingle as the spell wore off.

Nino's impatient expression vanished, his eyes going wide. Chat willed himself not to break eye contact. If Nino was going to yell at him, he'd take whatever he deserved to get back on Nino's good side.

Nino relaxed after a moment, not afraid, but curious, now eyeing Chat up and down. It was as if he was unraveling some sort of puzzle. Chat's tail and ears twitched nervously, but he willed himself to stay still.

Eventually, Nino shifted, one hand on the windowsill. His other hand extended towards Chat.

Chat braced himself, only for Nino to simply touch his shoulder. Chat was about to ask questions when Nino cut him off abruptly by pulling him close.

Nino hugged him, and tightly.

"N-nino?" Chat uttered, his voice barely a whisper.

Nino's voice wavered. "Don't ever leave me again, okay?"

Chat inhaled sharply. All the forgiveness he could ever ask for was in those few words. He smiled and hugged Nino back, so much so that he almost pulled Nino right out of the window.

"I'm sorry," Chat mumbled into Nino's shoulder. "I was just… really scared. I didn't know what to do."

"It's okay, bud," Nino assured. "You're here now, right?"

Chat smiled sheepishly. "Yeah."

After a long moment, Nino began to pull away. He looked around, both outside and in his house, as if checking to see if they were being watched, then glanced back at Chat. "Do you have to go though? It's not safe out here for you, is it?"

Chat sighed. "Probably not. There's other stuff I could tell you too, but I better get back to Marinette's before we get caught."

Nino smiled, reaching up and patting Chat's head to cheer him up. "Alright, but only if you promise to show me that castle later. Deal?"

Chat chuckled. "You got it."

As Nino slipped back inside, Trixx reappeared on Chat's shoulder, making the two vanish again.

* * *

"Missus Agreste?" Sabine echoed, glancing up at Tom, who glanced right back.

Tom hummed, then looked at Marinette with an unusually serious expression. "You mean Evelyn?"

"Eve—" Marinette shook her head. "No, her name is Emilie." She paused, seeing how sure her parents seemed. "...Isn't it? Did she change it?"

Tom and Sabine kept their straight faces on for a few extra seconds. Then, they smiled.

Marinette suddenly remembered what she'd been told by Nino; Chat's mother took him to eat sweets all the time. The most popular place to eat sweets was… and her parents were so outgoing that it was only natural that they'd...

She gasped. "You know where she is?"

Sabine smiled. "We still send each other letters. Would you like me to write to her?"

Marinette practically lunged forward, one hand on Sabine's arm and the other on Tom's. "YES!"

Realizing her outburst, Marinette flushed and backed away, backpedaling. "I-I mean, if that's okay with her? I don't want to force her or anything, but—"

The bedroom door opened behind her, Marinette shutting herself up immediately. She turned to see Chat standing at the top of the steps.

Trying to maintain innocence, Marinette asked, "Where'd you go?"

"Oh, ahh..." Chat grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I visited Nino."

Marinette felt a sense of relief. Chat was more comfortable. That was definitely a positive.

Chat stared down at the family, suddenly feeling awkward. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"No!" Marinette answered a little too quickly. "It's fine. We were just talking."

Chat somehow bought it, nodding his head. Marinette honestly couldn't believe this adorable dork fell for her lie when she was the queen of being unconvincing.

Chat smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm alright."

Marinette nodded, watching Chat slip back into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. She breathed a sigh of relief, then turned back to her parents.

"A-anyway, I—"

Sabine placed a finger to her lips, letting Marinette know that she didn't need to speak anymore. "We know exactly what to tell her. Don't worry."

Marinette blinked. She didn't understand, but couldn't complain about the results.

* * *

In the brightly-lit entrance room of the Bourgeois mansion, it wasn't hard to notice Sabrina dashing across the white floor. Her footsteps filled the quiet atmosphere, disturbing it.

"Chloe! I saw it!"

Chloe was lounging on her massive chair in the living room, one of her servants tending to her nails. At Sabrina's call, she turned her head. "What did you find?"

Sabrina reached Chloe and stopped running, now hunched over. She panted, needing a moment to catch her breath. "It's about Marinette."

" _Marinette._ " Chloe seethed, biting down on one her nails. "That _wench,_ embarrassing me in front of everyone."

The servant didn't hesitate to care for Chloe's bitten nail as Chloe looked back at Sabrina. "So? You found out what's making her act so _not_ -her?"

"I think so, but..." Sabrina faltered. "You won't believe it."

Chloe's gaze sharpened with interest. "Tell me."

"I-it was..." Sabrina paused, trying to gesture with her hands. Finally, she just burst out, "a huge _cat!_ "

Chloe blinked, surprised.

Sabrina continued, "I'd thought that Marinette's house was too closed off, so I tried to pursue her friends instead, thinking that _they_ might've done it."

"And one of them had a cat?" Chloe pressed.

"No! When I found it, it was hugging one of Marinette's friends, and then it _talked!_ "

"Wait—" Chloe straightened. The gears in her head seemed to be turning. "It... _talked?_ "

" _Yes!_ It said it had to go back to Marinette's house!" Sabrina replied.

Chloe placed a thoughtful hand to her chin, mulling over the information. Her mouth was a thin line.

"And then it just... disappeared!" Sabrina sighed. "I know it's hard to believe, but—"

Chloe raised a hand, stopping Sabrina from talking. "I believe you."

"You... really?"

"Of course. As my best friend, I trust you." Chloe raised her head, staring at the ceiling as she crossed one leg over the other. "Besides, only something magical could get that stupid little nuisance to stand up to me."

Sabrina bent over, nodding her head. "What are we going to do?"

"Easy." Chloe stared down at her nails, the shine of them matching the shine of her malicious grin. "We'll just have to put that kitty down."

The servant flinched, gazing at Chloe with wide eyes. At Chloe's glare, she pretended not to have heard anything.

Sabrina however, wasn't fazed at all. "What do you need me to do?"

Chloe leaned over. "Find a place where that cat'll go that his pathetic owner isn't."

"Right."

Chloe looked back at her servant, then tilted her head in Sabrina's direction. The servant tended to Sabrina's nails immediately.

Chloe chuckled lowly. "We'll see how confident little miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng feels when her pet's no longer in the picture."


	15. Chapter 15 - A Once Lonely Castle

The castle was the same as it always was, and Chat had noticed how clean Pollen had kept it when he'd taken Nino for a tour. It was big, certainly, and technically just as empty as it had been before, excluding Chat's guest.

Yet, since Marinette visited, and now Nino getting his own look around, something in the castle seemed reignited, and something in Chat too.

He couldn't imagine how he could feel any more blessed.

Nino fell back onto Chat's couch as they arrived in the main room. Chat smirked, leaning over the back of the couch to observe Nino, who seemed overwhelmed.

"Tired?" Chat asked.

"Nah." Nino rolled his eyes, grinning. "This is just way too big of a place."

"Sorry," Chat replied playfully. "Don't get too comfy. My father will kick you out if he sees you."

Nino's smile faded. He stared at Chat, blankly.

Chat blinked. "What?"

Nino chuckled, shaking his head. "Nothing. Just... never heard you joke about your old man before."

Chat hadn't thought about that fact before. He relaxed, smiling. "Yeah? Figured it might be time to start."

"Good. He's not worth being sad over." Nino smirked.

The two reveled in the cheerful conversation. Not long ago, they'd thought their friendship was lost to time. Now, they wanted to take every advantage of having it again.

Nino reached up, touching the fur on Chat's cheek and gliding his fingers along it.

Chat leaned in, but tilted his head in curiosity. "What are you doing?"

"I gotta know," Nino said softly. He paused for dramatic effect. "How hard is it to take care of this mess?"

Chat snorted. "It's not so bad once you get used to it."

"And the clothes?" Nino's hand moved to Chat's jacket. "You haven't ripped 'em with your claws yet?"

"Surprisingly not," Chat replied in good humor. He grabbed the opposite side of the jacket that Nino had, stroking the fabric. "Marinette made them really durable for me..."

He paused, waiting for Nino to maybe ask if the clothes were comfortable, or if the tail made things awkward, or even if Marinette was really that good at designing.

Instead, there was only silence. Chat glanced over.

Nino was staring up at him, looking amused. "You've got it bad."

Chat's cheeks turned pink. "W-what?"

"Hey, no judgments here," Nino assured. "I might be dating Alya, but even _I_ know how cute Marinette is."

"I-I—" Chat clammed up for two reasons: one, he would undoubtedly say something to make his situation even worse, and two…

He couldn't deny it.

Nino sat up. "Dude, you can be honest with me."

Chat breathed. "I know. It's just—"

Without warning, the front doors to the castle creaked open. Chat flinched, jerking his head over and expecting some sort of intruder. He'd protect Nino if he had to.

Instead, Marinette peeked in, looking around for him. It was odd, as she typically knocked.

Nino waved. "Hey, Marinette!"

Marinette turned her head towards them, smiled, and walked in. "Hey!"

Chat smiled back. "To what do I owe this visit, Princess?"

Chat stiffened, remembering that Nino was there. He didn't dare look, but he knew that Nino was smirking.

"Oh, nothing," Marinette replied, suspiciously innocent. "But…"

"But?" Chat echoed.

Marinette walked past Chat, grabbing Nino's shoulder. She pulled him closer to her and whispered something in his ear.

Nino's eyes widened. He looked up to Chat, then dropped his expression to a smile. Chat was understandably suspicious.

Nino got off the couch, standing next to Marinette. "Me and Marinette just have to talk for a sec." They were already walking away.

"W-wait, why?" Chat asked, reaching out but not following them.

Marinette turned her head, waving. "I brought someone that I thought you'd want time alone with!"

"What?" Chat's ears perked. "Who? Marinette, hang on, I'm not—"

The words caught in Chat's throat as the front door creaked again. Jerking his gaze over, he saw a delicate hand against the door, opening it further.

Chat couldn't get the rest of his sentence out. He _recognized_ that hand.

A woman in a modest white dress stepped through, standing politely at the entrance with her hands cupped in front of her. Her blond hair was swirled down, resting over her left shoulder. Her green eyes matched the green in Chat's _exactly._

When she saw Chat, her hands went immediately to her mouth. Nino and Marinette were watching from a distance, but only Chat heard when the woman whispered, "A-adrien…?"

Chat shuddered, his eyes wide. Despite his maturity, his demeanor was suddenly that of a timid child.

"...Mommy?"

Evelyn let out a breath, then smiled softly and stepped forward. Chat did the same, starting to reach his arms out, but stopped as his furred hands came into his view.

He stopped, reeling back and averting his gaze. A mix of emotions filled his core. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air that he didn't like.

Slowly, he felt a presence getting closer to him. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw hands touching his arms. Chat flinched, but dared to meet his mother's gaze.

She was smiling again. "I missed you too."

Chat's eyes filled with tears. He hugged Evelyn, burying his face into her shoulder. She hushed him, hugging him as well and stroking along him back. Gently, she pulled him down to the floor with her, Chat crumpling against her like a wet sheet of paper.

He only vaguely heard when Marinette and Nino shut the door to the room they'd gone into, leaving Chat and Evelyn alone.

Chat shook. His mother was _here,_ with him, after years of being away. Her hug was still as comforting as it had always been.

After roughly a minute, Chat felt Evelyn start to pull away. He shifted to look up at her. Her eyes were gentle and reassuring.

"Do you want to talk?" she asked.

Chat sniffled, nodding. He wiped his tears away, slightly embarrassed to be so emotional, then stood up, leading Evelyn up the stairs.

* * *

"This is a nice bedroom," Evelyn commented as Chat led her inside. "You keep it very well-cleaned."

Chat nodded awkwardly. It'd been so many years since he'd spoken with his mother. What was he supposed to say?

Evelyn walked ahead of Chat, perusing the room once before turning to him expectantly.

Chat averted his gaze, swallowing nervously. "S-so, um, how much did Marinette tell you?"

"...Enough. I don't think I know the whole story, because she was evasive about some details, but I knew that you'd been transformed by magic and have been here a long time."

He bit his lower lip. "I'm sorry. That was all an accident. I was so overwhelmed and—"

Evelyn leaned forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. Chat quieted immediately.

" _I'm_ sorry," she said softly. She tried to smile playfully, but it was strained. "I'm the one who ran away first, wasn't I?"

Chat furrowed his brows, now mirroring her stiff smile. He remembered that day well; when Gabriel outright told him that she was gone. As a young Adrien, he knew that his mother wasn't dead, but that was the story his father went with. Gabriel refused to let the disappearance tarnish his business' reputation.

Chat placed his hands over his mother's. "...Why? Why did you go?"

Evelyn looked pained, but still answered, "I didn't want to leave you. I _never_ did. We were both suffering because of your father, but I knew I couldn't take you with me."

Chat released one of her hands, which she used to brush his cheek. She added, "But I _wanted_ to."

Her words brought Chat a unique sense of comfort. He was ashamed to admit that he once thought that she'd left because of him.

Evelyn sighed. "It was foolish. I thought that, maybe, if I left on my own, your father would learn his lesson. I didn't expect him to restrict you even more. Then you disappeared and I just knew that I..."

Chat was aware that a logical response would be anger. He should be angry at his mother for placing so many bets on her leaving improving his father's mood. He should be outraged that she never tried to come back after all that.

And yet, Chat wasn't that kind of person.

He smiled. "It's okay. I know things were bad for a few years, but I got out, even if I'm a little…"

Evelyn giggled. "I see that. You've really grown up, haven't you? You've made a new life for yourself."

"...Yeah."

 _A new life._ Chat supposed that really was what he had. His father was out of his life, Marinette was here, he had the kwami as his friends, and he could see Nino whenever he wanted. Now that his mother was here too, he honestly couldn't imagine anything better.

Evelyn wiped a newly-shed tear away from her face. "I'm so glad Marinette had her mother write to me. I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Chat was immediately reminded of his conversation with Nino. He flushed at the mere mention of Marinette.

Evelyn paused, staring at him knowingly. "She's treated you well, hasn't she?"

She reached her hand out. Chat took it in his own, remembering her equally gentle touches from when he was younger.

Whenever Evelyn took his hand—child or otherwise—Chat felt safe, like no one could hurt him. It was as if he was untouchable as long as he held her hand.

But, when _Marinette_ held Chat's hand, it felt like there was no one else but the two of them. Everything unimportant faded from his mind, allowing him to truly cherish how it felt to have her small hand in his own.

Chat's voice wavered. "She's perfect."

Evelyn smiled. "You deserve to be happy. You should tell her. I know you haven't."

He flushed. Was it that obvious just by his expression that he hadn't said anything to Marinette about it? "M-maybe, but—"

"But you're a cat? But you're not worth it? But you're sure she doesn't like you that way?" Evelyn guessed.

"I-it's not…" Chat faltered. "That I think I'm not worth it, at least. I know I'm part-cat, but I get that it doesn't change who I am."

"Exactly. That's a good thing to remember," she encouraged.

Evelyn drew her gaze to Chat's dresser. Chat instantly knew what she was going to ask.

She glanced back at him. "Do you still have them?"

Chat nodded, going over to the dresser. Though the box still held Marinette's scarf, it also had a tiny drawer. Opening it revealed two red earrings with black spots; his mother's ladybug earrings.

Chat had always loved ladybugs.

He took them out with great care, holding them in his palm and offering them to Evelyn. "D-do you want them back? Or—"

Evelyn approached him, taking his hand gently and closing his fingers over the earrings. "Give them to her. Think of it as my blessing."

Chat's ears perked. "M-mother, I can't. They're—"

She cut him off, "—going to look great on her. You don't have to do it now, but someday, I want you to tell her how you feel, and then give her these. Okay?"

He opened his hand, staring down at the tiny earrings. They were light a moment ago, but now had so much weight to them.

Chat glanced up at her. "What are _you_ going to do?"

Evelyn hummed in thought. "I think… I'm going to try and move closer to the village. We'll be closer then and you can visit me anytime."

He smiled. That sounded perfect.

She asked thoughtfully, "You'll think about what I said, right?"

Chat inhaled, then let out a steady breath. He looked down at the earrings, then stored them in the pocket of his jacket.

"I'll tell her," he replied with unsteady confidence, "but there's something I have to do first."


	16. Chapter 16 - Once More With Feelings

Marinette took a breath, setting a tray of tea and snacks on the floor. It felt like an eternity since she'd last spent quality time with Alya.

In a way, she supposed that made sense. When Adrien had disappeared, her life came to a standstill. Time became an illusion, slowing to a crawl. Now that she had Chat, _everything_ was happening at once. Things that had happened here days ago felt like months ago instead, though the vividness of the memories didn't fade.

Marinette sat down, shifting the tray appropriately. Alya sat across from her.

When Marinette looked up, she noticed Alya's odd gaze. "What?"

Alya raised her brows. "You're hiding something, and now Nino's in on it."

Marinette hummed, very good at playing innocent for once in her life. "Oh? Do you think we'd do that to you?"

Alya gave Marinette a hard stare, not glancing away for an instant as she slowly picked up her tea. "No, but you're still acting weird."

"Weird how?" Marinette knew exactly what Alya meant.

"You know how!" Alya replied accusingly. "First, you start going off to some guy's place in the forest. Second, you stop being so depressed about Adrien. Third, _Nino_ stops talking about Adrien and visits your place like, twice as much as before."

"Well..." Marinette paused, forming an excuse and then immediately forming three more since her first excuse was usually terrible. "Nino met the guy too."

"So there _is_ something I'm not in on!" Alya pouted. "Come on, Marinette. Spill."

"Ooo, jealous?" Marinette teased, leaning forward. "Afraid Nino might replace you?"

If she was going to have information that Alya didn't have for once in her life, she was going to milk it for all it was worth.

" _Please._ " Alya pressed on Marinette's nose, pushing her away and placing her other hand on her chest. "I am _irreplaceable._ "

Marinette smiled, nodding in agreement. She knew she couldn't disagree with Alya there. Even if she _could_ pull off a convincing story, Nino and Alya were _way_ too in love with each other for Alya to ever buy it. They'd been together for years at this point after all.

...It must've been nice.

Alya blinked. "What?"

"What?" Marinette snapped out of her brief trance.

Alya grinned. It was amazing how quickly the tables could turn. "You're thinking about something."

Marinette flushed. She was transparent. She was _so_ transparent. She was surprised Alya could even see her _existing;_ she was _that_ transparent.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, playing innocent as if she thought she could fool herself.

"You know what I mean." Alya leaned back, tilting her head. "You're giving that look you get when you're thinking about _love._ I kinda missed it."

"Well—"

Alya's eyes widened. "Wait." She straightened. "Is that it? Is that the big secret?"

"W-what?" Marinette suddenly felt like she was missing something.

"You moved on from Adrien!" Alya gasped. "You fell for mystery guy! That's the big secret!"

Marinette covered her face, which was burning red again. "Oh my gosh."

How could Alya be so wrong... yet also so right? That sealed it, didn't it? Adrien being a cat changed nothing because of _course_ it changed nothing. He was still the sweet adorable dork that she'd loved forever.

She'd dug this hole for herself and hated that she was enjoying lying in it.

"I-I was just—I mean—" Marinette swallowed, uncovering her face and opting to rub the back of her neck. "He's… cute."

"I _can't_ believe this!" Alya shouted, bolting forward and getting in Marinette's face. "You've been hiding details about this guy that you _fell_ for? _Really?!_ "

"But—"

" _DETAILS!_ " Alya begged, her close proximity to Marinette far from the realm of comfort. "Have you kissed him yet?"

Marinette's face burned hotter. "N-no. I haven't… really… um—"

Alya's expression fell. "You didn't."

Marinette squeaked. "I didn't."

Alya sighed, leaning back. "Marineeeeette." She fell back onto the floor. "You take forever."

"I wasn't sure about it until now!" Marinette protested, not sure if she should be offended or not. "He was—and I was—"

She groaned. "I don't know how to confess anyway! How'd you and Nino do it?"

Alya placed a hand to her chin, thinking back on it, then merely shrugged. "We just confessed."

Marinette threw her hands up. "I'm not cool enough for that!"

"Oh, come on, Marinette." Alya chuckled, sitting up. "I mean, yeah, you're not _me_ enough to just come out and say it, but…"

She wrapped a reassuring arm around Marinette. "You like this guy, don't you?"

"Yes," Marinette admitted quietly.

"Then you gotta _tell_ him!" Alya insisted. For just a moment, her voice went soft. "I don't want a repeat of Adrien, got it?"

Marinette was instantly reminded of why Alya was her best friend. "...Yeah, I got it."

Alya waited. "...But?"

"But… it's not the right time yet. I want it to mean something, so I'll wait for the perfect moment."

* * *

In Chat's experience, Marinette's parents seemed to have an almost otherworldly sense of reality; Sabine in particular. He couldn't quite explain it, but they just had this greater understanding than any normal person he'd ever known.

Thus, when he knocked on the door to the closed bakery—his form invisible thanks to Trixx—he wasn't surprised when Sabine looked up for only a second before moving to unlock the door.

Chat pushed the door open and stepped inside, Tom closing the curtains so Trixx could safely drop the invisibility.

"Thanks," Chat said gratefully, walking across the room as his form came back into sight. Trixx flew off to Tikki, who had been sitting near the back of the baking area. They flew off together to give privacy.

Off on the counter, a few lanterns were lit. The table in the center of Tom and Sabine's baking area had a few bowls set out, filled with various types of batter. Chat didn't need to smell them to know that they were delicious.

"Are you experimenting?" he asked, trying to make casual conversation.

Tom nodded, looking proud of the fact. "You bet! The shop may be closed, but we never _loaf_ around here."

Chat chuckled, his tail swishing happily.

Meanwhile, Sabine walked over to one of the bowls, adding various ingredients to the contents even as she stared up at Chat. It was like some sort of insane muscle memory.

"Marinette is upstairs with her friend Alya. If you want to wait, we can hide you whenever Alya leaves."

Chat's ears twitched at the mention of Marinette. "Ah—no, actually. That's fine."

He wondered if Tom and Sabine could see the pink blush on his face. Part of him hoped that his fur hid it enough.

He continued, "I-I came to talk to you two."

Tom and Sabine glanced at each other, looking surprised.

Sabine stared thoughtfully at Chat. "You did?" she asked.

Tom raised a brow. "What's on your mind, son?"

There it was; the question he'd be anticipating. Chat's blush deepened. He imagined his sudden sheepishness must look hilarious, considering his large cat-like body.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um… it's about Marinette."

Sabine's expression dropped to concern. "Is there something wrong with her?"

"No!" Chat immediately assured, his hands in front of him in a soothing gesture. Realizing his outburst, he feigned clearing his throat. "No, it's…" His voice lowered to a whisper, "the opposite, actually."

He stared at the floor. He felt their eyes on him, a long silence stretching on. They were waiting in anticipation; waiting for him to say something.

Chat opened his mouth, ready to let the nerves get the best of him, but when he looked back up, Tom was in front of him, his smile wide.

"Why don't we all take a seat on the couch first, hm?"

Chat felt Tom's hand against his back. Tom was reassuring him, motioning him gently towards the living room. Sabine even smiled reassuringly at him, gesturing him to follow her as she went into the living room herself.

Chat relaxed instantly. Of course; Marinette's parents were the most understanding people he knew. They wouldn't think weirdly of him no matter what he said.

Sabine sat down first. Tom followed suit, but purposefully left space in the middle for Chat, who sat between them.

Chat didn't meet their gaze at first, instead staring at his clothes. He felt the fabric, remembering Marinette's smiling face when she gave it to him.

"Your daughter's amazing," he said softly.

Tom beamed, amused. "If this is what you wanted to talk about, I'm afraid we already know!"

Sabine giggled, waving him off. Chat watched as she placed a gentle hand against his arm. "You're amazing too. We hope you know that."

Chat felt tears prick the corners of his eyes. This family was going to be the end of him, killing him with kindness.

...He _needed_ to be a part of it.

"Then…" Chat swallowed. His voice had gone soft and warm, like a marshmallow roasting over a fire. There was no going back, and suddenly, he realized that he was okay with that.

"...is it okay if I say that I'm in love with her?"

The atmosphere stilled. Tom and Sabine were silent at first, the muffled sound of a conversation upstairs being the only thing picked up by Chat's ears.

Then, Tom placed a firm hand on Chat's shoulder. When Chat looked up, Tom had the widest grin he'd ever seen on the man.

"Of course you can!" He shook Chat gently. "Who better for our little girl than you?"

"W-what? You mean that?" Chat asked. He'd played out many scenarios of Marinette's parents accepting him, but that line hadn't been in any of them.

Sabine nodded, Chat turning his attention to her as she patted his leg. "Why not? You're kind, caring, and you've treated Marinette with more love than anyone else. You don't have to ask for our permission."

Chat's heart pounded from the high praise. He honestly didn't know if he'd be able to stand up after this. He was just so overwhelmed. "So, it's really okay?"

Tom stood up, hands on his hips. He seemed serious, but Chat had picked up his signs by now.

Tom bent over, grinning at Chat. "As long as you promise not to _dessert_ her."

Chat laughed. "I wouldn't even _dream_ of it, sir."

Tom smiled, satisfied. He walked to the side, holding a hand out to Sabine. "Then we've got nothing to worry about."

Sabine nodded in agreement, taking Tom's hand and allowing him to pull her up.

Chat let out a sigh of relief. He waited for the shivers in his body to settle, then pushed himself up into a stand. "That makes this _way_ easier."

"Hm?" Tom and Sabine hummed in unison, confused by Chat's words for the second time that day.

Chat walked over to the staircase to Marinette's room, staring up towards the door. He steeled himself up, then headed up the stairs.

As he placed his hand on the doorknob, he looked at the door as if it was an obstacle that he was determined wanted to get past.

"Marinette?" he called.

He heard a surprised gasp from Marinette on the other side. "Chat?"

A voice he didn't recognize cut in. "Wait. Chat? Who's Chat?"

"Alya—"

"Is that the guy?! Is that him?"

Chat turned the doorknob.

Marinette shouted out to him, "Chat, don't come in! Alya's here—"

He opened the door, revealing himself. "I know."

Chat noted Alya's mouth dropping open, obviously not expecting him to look like he did. Maybe it was just a combination of Tom and Sabine's words and Marinette's comforting clothing, but Chat felt more confident than usual.

So much so that he actually _smirked._ He walked forward, squatting down to be closer to Alya's level.

If he was going to confess to Marinette eventually, Alya deserved to know too.

"Hi," he said casually, extending a hand for Alya to shake. "Name's Chat. Chat Noir."

He paused, Alya still thoroughly flabbergasted. If nothing else, her expression was worth doing this.

He took a brief glance at Marinette, who seemed in agreement of that, suddenly very amused at the whole situation.

Chat dared to go one step further. "...Also formerly known as Adrien Agreste."

"Y-YOU—" Alya sputtered. "You—what—you're—"

Alya glanced at Marinette, who had her hands over her own mouth in a _terrible_ attempt to hide her laughter. Alya turned her attention back to Chat.

His smirk widened. "Thanks for taking care of Nino for me."

"OH MY GOSH!" Alya screamed.

Alya jerked towards Marinette, grabbing her by the jacket. " _You_ have _so much_ explaining to do!"

Marinette couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

* * *

Having been back in the living room for the past half hour, Chat watched as Alya scrawled almost endlessly on her notepad. Part of him could swear that he saw smoke rising from it.

Alya pressed on, "And then?"

Chat smiled, leaning back on the couch. "And then I came back here to give you the surprise of your life—"

She glared at him, but Chat knew she meant no harm. Besides, he could hardly be affected anyway. He was on cloud nine; _far_ above cloud nine.

Alya slowly reviewed all of what she'd written. There were a lot of pages.

"I… _guess_ it checks out." She pouted, probably hating that she had nothing against him after so much secret keeping.

"Sorry I made Marinette keep it from you for so long," Chat said honestly. "I didn't have the confidence to show myself until now."

Alya hummed lowly, still trying to be mad. It wasn't working. She relaxed instead. "It's fine."

She closed her notepad, then placed it and her writing utensils into her bag. "Anyway, I better get going."

Marinette stepped forward, opening her mouth to say something. Before anything could come out, Alya spun around to face her, pointing at her accusingly.

"And _you—_ " Alya began firmly. "You better…"

Chat's ear twitched as Alya's words became soft whispers. Whatever she said, it made Marinette flush pink.

Alya's mood flicked back to casual as she turned away, waving a hand. "Alright, see ya!"

Marinette flinched. "A-alya!"

She went ignored as Alya passed Tom and Sabine in the bakery area, then left.

Marinette covered her face, groaning. "Ugh, she won't stop now that I don't have anything over her anymore."

Chat smiled sympathetically, despite not knowing what was going on. He stood up, then began to stretch. "I should go too."

Marinette snapped her attention back to him. "Wait. Now? But you just got here!"

Chat flushed at how disappointed she sounded. He tried to maintain his cool. "I know, Princess. I've just got some—uh—"

He glanced back at Tom and Sabine, who gave him a firm nod.

He finished, " _things,_ to think about."

He looked down at her hand, hesitating, then knelt down, taking it in his own. "I'll tell you soon, okay?"

"A-ah—" Marinette nodded, though clearly puzzled. "Okay."

Chat released her hand and stood back up. After saying a quick but grateful good-bye to Tom and Sabine, he called for Trixx's invisibility spell.

Then, he left, sneaking past any and all people who still remained outside during the evening. He thanked his cat side for his stealth, just as he always did whenever he snuck out of the forest and back again.

However, his stealth couldn't save him as he reached the edge of the forest, asking Trixx to drop his invisibility when he thought it was safe.

That was his mistake.

Neither him nor Trixx saw the orange-haired girl hiding behind a tree, because she didn't let them.

As they walked into the forest, she walked quietly after them.


	17. Chapter 17 - Cat-astrophe

Marinette examined her tray of macaroons, pouting slightly as she tested the hardness of the top of one.

They weren't as perfect as her parents' macaroons would've been, but they'd do.

She placed six in a small paper bag, then took the tray and brought it out to the dining room. Her parents were sitting there alongside Nino and Alya, having some casual conversation.

Sabine glanced over with a smile. "They smell good, Marinette."

Marinette grinned sheepishly, setting the tray down on the table. "Hopefully Chat'll think so too."

Nino popped a macaroon in his mouth before replying, "Come on, Marinette! He'd eat anything you made."

"He would," Alya agreed. "What are you so worried about anyway?"

"I just want them to be good! Plus, I'm making him a set of night clothes so he doesn't have just one outfit. I still need to put the finishing touches on them, but it won't take long. I figured I'd throw in the macaroons as a bonus."

Alya chuckled, picking up a few macaroons. "You're too generous."

Marinette frowned. Alya might've been right, but Chat deserved only the best, and she'd give it to him.

She frowned, glancing over her shoulder to the door. "He's running late though. Wasn't he supposed to be here by now?"

Nino turned around in his chair. "Maybe he's bad with time now? He was so used to being on a schedule before, but that was years ago."

Marinette hesitated, then finally sat down at the table. "I guess."

Tom beamed. "Don't worry! He'll show up!"

Sabine said nothing at first, her gaze steeled on the door. She shook her head, as if to dismiss a thought, then glanced over at Tikki, who was seated on the kitchen counter. "Tikki! Are you going to join us?"

Tikki perked up, looking over at them. "Oh! Of course!"

She flew over to the table, sitting down right in front of the tray. She picked up a single macaroon with both of her paws, and took a small bite.

Marinette smiled and watched, trying to distract herself from the wait. "How is it?"

Tikki let out a content hum. "It's good! I—"

Before the conversation could continue, there was a knock at the door. Marinette turned, though she didn't look excited.

Alya leaned, trying to see the front door to no avail. "Is that Chat?"

Marinette shook her head. "Chat doesn't knock like that."

She went out to the bakery area, her expression immediately dropping to disdain as she noticed who was standing at the front door: Chloe.

Marinette sighed. Against her better judgment, she unlocked the front door and opened it, knowing that Chloe being around would cause trouble for Chat when he arrived.

"Hello, Marinette," Chloe greeted with a sly smile. She was unusually casual, inspecting her nails in the way someone would when they knew something devious and were proud of it.

Marinette didn't waver. "What do you want, Chloe?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Chloe peeked over, eyeing Marinette up and down. She was clearly wanting the response that Marinette used to give, her mouth twitching just slightly when she didn't get it. She turned her head up with a grin.

"I want an apology," she replied.

"And I want you to not be here," Marinette countered with a roll of her eyes. "We can't always get what we want."

Chloe made eye contact, her cocky expression faltering before coming back full-force. She approached, getting uncomfortably close. "Let me correct myself. You _will_ apologize to me."

Marinette kept her arms to her sides. It felt wrong allowing Chloe to be so close, but she allowed it. After all, no matter how odd it seemed for Chloe to approach her so directly—something Marinette was still wondering about—she had to either stand her ground or get stepped on.

She stood firmly. "I don't owe you anything."

"Ahuh." Chloe didn't sound convinced. She backed away, once again pretending to be preoccupied with her nails. "Did your cat teach you that one?"

Marinette had to force herself not to flinch. "...I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a cat." It wasn't _technically_ a lie.

"I think you do." Chloe extended her hand out, watching the light reflect off of her nails. "For now, anyway."

Marinette hardened her gaze, the metaphorical gears turning in her head. "What...?"

Chloe cast a gaze over her shoulder, her eyes wandering around aimlessly. "So, where is he?" she asked, suspiciously innocently.

The metaphorical gears clicked.

Chloe continued, "I'd thought he'd be with you, considering how much you rely on him—"

Marinette stepped forward. Chloe hardly had time to face her. Marinette grabbed hold of Chloe's jacket, pulling Chloe close with the intent to terrify.

"What did you do?" Marinette asked lowly, her eyes bright and burning.

Chloe laughed, though it likely came out more forced than she had intended. "I don't know what you're talking abou—"

Marinette pulled Chloe closer, raising her voice. "What. Did. You. Do?!"

Chloe's voice went quiet, her eyes staring back at Marinette's as if it were a competition. Then, they wavered. She looked away, attempting to maintain the illusion that she had the upper hand.

"I-I had Sabrina hire an expert. He should be taking care of your little pet right now. I might consider getting him to back off if you—"

Marinette dropped Chloe, turning so fast to run back inside that she nearly collided with the door frame.

"Tikki!" she called with urgency. "Chat's in trouble! We need to go, _now!_ "

Tikki jumped up, wide-eyed as she flew for the nearest wall. Nino and Alya called out, but Marinette was too focused to listen. Marinette turned and started running, catching a brief glimpse of Tikki phasing through the building to get to her the quickest.

She had to rescue Chat and _fast._

* * *

The first visible sign that something was wrong was the castle doors. Chat had always been sure to close them—for general safety if nothing else—but one of the doors had been flung wide open.

Marinette felt her stomach lurch as she dashed towards the doors as quickly as possible. In the evening light, she could make out fallen objects inside the castle, looking to have fallen in some sort of struggle.

Tikki flew inside. "Chat!"

Marinette followed, stopping for a moment to look around. She tilted her head toward the sounds coming from the upstairs hallway. "Chat!"

She waited, her body full of adrenaline yet too terrified to move.

Finally, Chat stumbled in, leaning on the railing at the top of the stairway. He looked exhausted.

"M-marinette!" he panted. "Run! There's a—"

He glanced behind him, then yelped and immediately moved out of the way. A gunshot followed, missing Chat but taking off a piece of the railing.

A large man ran into view, carrying a belt with multiple weapons loaded into it. The gun currently in his hands was large and long, sending a chill down Marinette's spine.

The man eyed Marinette but ignored her. His attention was clearly on Chat, who had only just regained his footing after avoiding the shot.

Tikki flew upwards, alert as the man took aim again. She directed his gun downwards as he fired, sending the gunshot to the floor.

Tikki looked up hastily. "Run, Chat!"

Chat scrambled, immediately racing down the other hallway. The hunter growled, trying to swat Tikki away, but she avoided him and flew off, probably to check on Plagg.

Marinette forced her legs into action, racing up the stairs while the hunter was still distracted. She dashed down the hall, looking around for any sign of where Chat had gone.

Suddenly, she felt something furry grab her arm. She yelped as she was pulled into one of the rooms to her side, the door being closed behind her.

"Marinette!" Chat shouted in a hushed tone. Thankfully, he looked completely unharmed. "What do you think you're doing, racing after me like that?"

"I'm not going to just stand here and watch some guy try to hurt you!" Marinette protested. "Now, where are the other kwami?"

"I told them to hide," he explained, hunching down to her level. "Anyway, what are you even doing here? I thought I was supposed to meet you at the bakery?"

"Chloe told me she sent a hunter after you, so I rushed here as fast as I—"

"Chloe?" Chat's eyes were wide with shock. Marinette mentally berated herself for accidentally revealing more than she probably should've.

She grabbed Chat's shoulders reassuringly, trying to get him to focus. "Regardless, we have to find a way to get you out. Can we—"

The door was kicked open, Marinette screaming as the hunter stood in the doorway. Chat was stiff, yet alert, like he was used to this already.

The hunter prepared his weapon, but Duusu rushed in unexpectedly, using the full-force of her flight to slam into the side of the man's head. Pollen wasn't far behind, ramming the man's shoulder for extra effect.

It wasn't much, but the hunter staggered to the side. Chat reacted immediately, pushing Marinette away from him and dashing down the hall.

"Chat!" Marinette called after him. She tried to follow, but the hunter had already recovered and chased him, not leaving any room for her to squeeze through.

Duusu and Pollen fled, having lost their element of surprise. At the same time, Trixx appeared on a nearby shelf, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You know he wouldn't bring you into danger with him."

Marinette was frantic. "We have to do something! He'll be killed if we don't!" She racked her brain for options. "Can you use your illusion magic to hide him again?"

Trixx shook his head. "I tried that. That hunter looks prepared for basic magical stuff too."

"Then... then a disguise?" Marinette suggested. "Could you disguise him as someone else?"

Trixx exhaled, as if the very thought was exhausting. "I wish I could. Making someone vanish is one thing, but holding up a disguise that complicated for even a minute would be pretty much impossible."

Marinette clutched her head. "No..."

She could hear the hunter's voice from down the hall: "Hold still! I'll make this quick and painless."

Without thought, Marinette raced after the voice. She didn't know how she was going to stop this; she just knew that she had to.

By the time she got back to the main room, Chat and the hunter were in a heated struggle, Chat trying to wrestle his current weapon away from him.

"C-chat!" Marinette called out worriedly.

Chat glanced at her briefly—likely to reassure her—then focused back on the struggle. He may have only been Marinette's age, but the beastly spell put on him must've given him a _lot_ of muscle to work with.

Just when it looked like the hunter was about to succeed in wrestling the weapon away, a thrown book suddenly hit his shoulder. He recoiled, Chat managing to pull the weapon out of his grasp.

Marinette looked down the stairs, where Nino and Alya were standing. Wayzz was sitting on Alya's shoulder.

Nino grinned smugly, grabbing a heavier book from the ones Alya was holding and waving it tauntingly.

The hunter looked down at them, surprised, then growled. "Will you kids just let me do my job?!"

He rushed at Chat, managing to pull the weapon away from him. Chat tried to retrieve it, but the man backed away a safe distance.

Nino attempted to throw another book, but the man dodged, probably having seen it coming.

The hunter then took aim.

Without thinking, Marinette ran forward, leaping at Chat. Chat stumbled against the surprise weight, falling to the ground. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder and shutting her eyes.

Alya and Nino cried out for both of them, but it was in the midst of a shot going off. Everything in that moment had happened in an instant, too fast for anyone to process.

For a long minute, there was only silence.

Marinette breathed. She'd been expecting a sharp pain, but there was nothing. It meant she wasn't hit, so… did that mean—?

She looked up at Chat. His arms were wrapped firmly around her, but there were no ragged breaths or signs that he was in pain. He was looking back at her, looking just as surprised that they were both fine.

Marinette turned her attention to the hunter, who was still pointing the weapon at Chat. He looked confused, gazing at them, then his weapon.

By his next expression, Marinette could tell that he was out of ammo.

The hunter shook his head, grumbling about it, then reached for his belt for a new weapon. However, the belt wasn't there.

The man searched the floor, then turned around. Nooroo was there, looking sheepish but unafraid as he held the massive belt in his tiny paws.

"L-leave my friends alone," he piped up. "I don't want anyone getting hurt."

The hunter reached for the belt, but Nooroo flew up and away. He remained floating at a safe distance where the man would never reach him.

The man tightened his free hand into a fist, glancing back at Chat and Marinette. He took a step towards them.

Marinette flinched, clinging tighter to Chat. She would _not_ let him take Chat away from her.

The hunter stopped, gazing at the way Chat and Marinette had their arms wrapped around each other. He looked down to Nino and Alya, who still seemed ready to stop him. Then, he glanced back at Nooroo, who was holding onto the heavy belt like his life depended on it.

Finally, he sighed. "What's got you all so ready to defend some wild cat?"

"He's not some wild cat!" Marinette replied harshly. "He's sentient!"

The hunter rolled his eyes. "I know that. My client warned me about that in advance." He shrugged. "But a wild cat's still a wild cat. Doesn't matter what any sort of magic did to him. Besides, if he's a danger like my client says, he's gotta go; simple as that."

"He's _not_ a danger!" Marinette protested. "He's…"

She hardened her gaze, trying to think. If she could convince him that Chat was Adrien, which would mean he would be more human than animal at least, maybe the man would consider letting it go. Still, it was easier said than done. She'd need something else.

Thinking fast, Marinette tightened her hold on Chat. "He's mine."

The hunter's brows suddenly raised in surprise. "Wait… he's yours? Your pet?"

Marinette gagged internally. She didn't want to say that _exactly._ "He… belongs to me."

She continued, "That girl that told you about him; she hates me. He hasn't done anything wrong and she just wants him gone because he's with me."

The man's posture didn't change, but there was a certain curiosity in his eyes. "And you can prove it?"

"Prove…" Marinette trailed off. Did she _have_ any proof of something that wasn't true?

She looked at Chat, who seemed at a loss for what to do. He averted his gaze to the floor, whispering to her, "It's okay. Look, Marinette, I just want to…"

He reached for the pocket of his jacket. Before he could even reach inside, Marinette's eyes lit up.

"I can prove it!" she exclaimed.

The man approached, but not in an aggressive manner.

Marinette pulled away from Chat just slightly, her hands moving to the left cuff of Chat's jacket. Her hands maneuvered around it, grabbing the edges and pulling them down Chat's arm. The flared cuff straightened out, laying flat with stitched text now visible.

 _Marinette._

The hunter glanced over at her. " _You're_ Marinette?"

"You know me?" she asked.

He eyed her up and down. "I guess it should've been obvious. People talk, and _everyone_ knows that the Bourgeois girl doesn't like you."

He straightened, eyeing Chat and Marinette with an impassive gaze. Marinette hugged Chat once more, just in case the man tried anything again.

After a moment, he huffed, seeming disappointed. "I guess I'm not getting paid today."

Marinette blinked. "W-what?"

"Pets are out of my job description. I'm not allowed to kill them even if I wanted to."

He lowered his weapon completely and headed down the stairs. He went for the door, but turned at the last second and looked up at Nooroo, holding his hand out insistently.

Nooroo hesitated, then flew down, dropping the belt into the man's waiting hand. The man left without another word.

Nino and Alya paused, waiting a few seconds for the man to be at a distance, then dropped the books and ran up the stairs. They practically tackled Marinette and Chat into a group hug.

Nino spoke first, "Never scare either of us like that again!"

Alya agreed, "Seriously! We thought you were both about to die! Marinette, what were you even thinking?!"

"I don't know!" Marinette admitted, throwing her hands up. "I just did what felt right!"

The four had a good laugh in relief over the situation. Nino and Alya pulled away, but Marinette remained on Chat's lap.

She looked up at him, noticing that he was staring down at her stitched name with a fond expression. "Chat?"

He glanced at her. "You wrote your name again?"

She blushed. "W-well, you said you'd wear my name anywhere…"

He smiled. "I would. I did. I will. _Always._ "

They hugged, letting out a content hum at being in each other's arms.

Marinette shuddered, full of emotion. "When Chloe told me she had Sabrina send someone after you, I thought you'd…"

"I'm right here," Chat reassured her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I know. It's just..." Marinette averted her gaze, idly fixing the cuff she'd pulled down.

She replayed the whole thing in her mind. Chloe's threat, rushing out to the castle, doing what she could to stop the hunter…

Her only thought had been keeping Chat from being shot. Until now, she hadn't realized; if Chat had died, she never would've gotten to tell him just how important he was to her, or how much he meant to her, or that…

"I love you," she said softly. She hugged him tight, burying her face into his chest. "I-I love you so much. Please don't ever throw yourself into danger like that for me."

Chat was stiff at first, then relaxed, stroking along Marinette's back. "I can't promise that, Princess, but…"

Marinette looked up, Chat's large furry hands cupping her cheeks. His smile radiated a warmth and fondness that she could get lost in.

"It's really not fair of you, you know. I was planning this big thing for confessing to you, and then you go and do something even better." He chuckled. "And by that, I mean that I love you too."

A single happy tear rolled down Marinette's face as she smiled. She leaned in, Chat leaning down to meet her halfway as their foreheads touched.

They each let out a loving sigh.

A minute passed, and Marinette could hear muffled whispers from Nino and Alya behind her. She reluctantly pulled away from Chat, turning to them. She knew she should probably be embarrassed, having confessed to Chat right in front of them, but Chat was holding her so comfortingly that she honestly couldn't even if she tried. She imagined that Chat felt the same way.

Alya grinned. "You guys should head back to the bakery to eat. You've been through _way_ too much today."

Nino nodded in agreement. "Me and Alya are gonna stay here to help Pollen clean up the mess."

Marinette frowned. "Are you sure? We can—"

Alya raised a hand. "Go. We'll handle things here."

Marinette looked back at Chat, who shrugged in acceptance. He smiled, running his hands down her arms.

"Only problem is that I don't really wanna let you go right now," he said playfully, even smirking a bit.

Marinette flushed, but managed to smirk back. "I-I guess you'll just have to carry me, Kitty."

Chat beamed, securing Marinette in one arm and pushing himself to a stand with the other. He cradled her close, just like when they first danced.

They glanced back at Nino and Alya, who just gave them an approving thumb's up before walking off. Now _that_ made them flush in embarrassment.

Chat turned towards the front door, heading down the stairs with Marinette in tow. He pulled the door opened, but paused to glance back at where Nino and Alya were.

He smiled. "Our friends are the best."

Marinette returned his smile, making herself comfortable by resting her head against his shoulder. "I agree."

They giggled in unison as Chat carried Marinette outside.


	18. Chapter 18 - Know Which is Witch

The cool air drifted along Marinette's skin as Chat carried her through the forest. Chat himself was calm, clearly finding comfort in Marinette's presence. Even the forest overall seemed to be more at peace than usual, though perhaps anything would feel more peaceful after what they'd just experienced.

And yet, despite the atmosphere, Marinette couldn't help feeling on edge. She pushed herself up slightly, looking around.

Chat adjusted her accordingly. "Something wrong, Princess?"

"No," Marinette answered quickly, not wanting Chat to worry. "Just... is this the right way?"

"It's the way Plagg taught me," Chat replied warily. "Why?"

"Ah..." Marinette trailed off. Certainly, this was only her imagination then.

That thought process was immediately thwarted, however, as a beam of light soared through the trees, nearly hitting Chat's feet.

Chat stumbled back, but he secured Marinette as if it was his only priority.

Marinette held onto his shoulder for extra stability. "What was that?"

"I-I don't know."

The two looked out into the forest, which had fogged up surprisingly fast. As they waited, Chat ready to dodge another beam at any second, a figure became visible in the fog. Short, stout, and moving at a relatively slow pace.

Marinette looked up at Chat to ask if they should flee, but Chat seemed frozen in place.

"C-chat?" she muttered worriedly.

She looked back, the figure coming into full view. Her hair was a cloudy white and she wore a long dark robe, tattered from what looked to be years of use. Her eyes were icy and stern.

Marinette didn't have to ask to know who this woman was. Chat's reaction had made it obvious. She was the witch that has changed Chat into the cat-beast he was today.

The old woman spoke, "So, I ignore you and allow you to bury yourself in that old castle, far from any more of my spells, yet you decide that you want to bring a bunch of noise my way?" She huffed. "I certainly didn't appreciate that hunter nearly barging in on my property."

"I—" Chat swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"Chat! Don't apologize!" Marinette scolded.

The woman sharpened her gaze. "And just who are you?"

Despite Chat's attempts to hang onto her, Marinette got down. There was a sense of nervousness in her chest and a tightness in her throat, but after all this woman put Chat through, Marinette was determined to give her a piece of her mind.

"I'm his girlfriend!" she stated with a sense of pride, stepping towards the woman despite her nerves. "And you had no right to change him the way you did! You didn't know what he's been through!"

The woman seethed. "Petulant child. I saw what I saw. Escaping from those who love you—"

"That wasn't it at all! He wasn't running away like you thought!" Marinette retorted, practically screaming at the woman's assumptions of Chat.

The woman raised a fist, which glowed a dark purple. "You talk too much. Perhaps I should turn you into something as well?"

Marinette went to respond, but Chat rushed out from behind her and pulled her back. He shielded her with as much of his body as his could.

"Leave her alone!" Chat yelled.

Marinette could feel him shaking. Chat was afraid of this woman, and yet he was afraid of losing Marinette even more.

The woman opened her mouth to reply, but her eyes suddenly shot open on alert. She turned abruptly, a hand raised. "Who goes there?"

Suddenly, the woman flinched, her arm lowering. Marinette looked past her to see her parents standing a small distance away, seeming to have just arrived.

"Papa? Maman?" Marinette called out, surprised.

Tom eyed the woman for a moment, then turned his attention to Marinette. "We got worried when you rushed out. We were sure your friends would help, but we just wanted to check on you."

Sabine nodded. "But we weren't expecting Ju to be here."

"Ju—" Marinette gaped. "You know this woman?"

Ju stood stiffly, addressing Sabine. "You weren't content enough with merely taking my friend away? Now you're here to interrupt my spell casting?"

"Maman," Marinette interrupted. She went to step forward, but Chat's grip on her was firm. She glanced up at him, eyes pleading, and he reluctantly let go. She stepped towards the three. "What's going on?"

"This was a friend of your grandmother," Sabine explained. "They were a duo of witches back in China, using their magic to entertain others."

"Oh." It took a moment for Marinette to fully register it. "W-wait, what?! My grandmother was a witch?"

Sabine smiled despite the tense situation. "I told you stories about her, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't think you were serious!" Marinette replied, throwing her arms up.

Ju glared at Sabine. "We were a wonderful duo until you split us up."

Sabine shook her head. "There you go again, always jumping to conclusions. She went with us because she was tired of all the excitement. She wanted to start anew in a peaceful village like the one nearby." She raised a brow. "You came here to see her, didn't you?"

Ju replied sternly, "Her aura wasn't here. I decided that I'd remained here until it returned, but she must know and is actively avoiding me."

Sabine breathed, her expression looking to be a mixture of exasperation and sadness. "My mother is dead. She's been so for many years."

Ju almost staggered at that, Marinette watching silently as the strong witch suddenly looked so frail.

Sabine continued, "You were too stubborn to follow her because you were sure she wanted to leave you. You know, she was going to go see you in the end. She wanted to - she loved you - but her old age caught up with her too fast."

Ju had fallen silent, but Marinette could feel that any sort of aggression in the air had faded.

A minute passed. Finally, Tom spoke up, "Why don't we go back to the house for tea? I'm sure we all need a break after all this."

Ju didn't move, simply standing in place. Tom approached her, placing a hand on her back. "Come on now."

Sabine added with a gentle smile, "We can talk about my mother. I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell."

She walked off, and Tom followed. Ju resisted, but only for a moment before following along.

As she walked away, she took a single glance back at Chat. For a moment, Marinette could swear that she looked apologetic.

There was a silence, the three slowly faded from Marinette's view. She waited until they were completely gone, then turned to Chat.

He sat down immediately, letting out a breath of relief. His body was still shaking.

"Chat, it's okay," Marinette reassured softly, hugging him gently.

He eased his breathing, wrapping an arm around Marinette. "I'm not ready for anymore surprises today."

She giggled. "Don't worry. I think it's over now."

Chat hummed contently.

Marinette nuzzled him, cherishing the warmth of the embrace, then pulled away. "So, this is good then, right?"

He tilted his head.

She placed a hand to her chin in thought. "I guess that Ju person wouldn't really know how to change you back since Plagg made the spell act differently, but if my grandmother was magic, then I must be magic too."

He smiled. "You were already magical to me, Princess."

"Stop." Marinette had tried to sound stern, but her face had gone red at the compliment.

Chat chuckled. "Okay, so what are you saying then?"

"I might be able to help change you back," she explained. "I could ask Wayzz for some spellbooks, and I can practice every day. Maybe—"

She paused, noticing Chat's hesitance. "Chat? If you're worried that I might mess it up, I—"

He shook his head. "Marinette..."

She stiffened, surprised to hear him use her name. "Y-yeah? What is it?"

He avoided eye contact at first, his eyes darting around the forest. Finally, his gaze fell upon her hand, which he held gently in his own. "I've been thinking about this for a while."

Marinette remained silent, allowing Chat to continue.

He looked up at her. "I don't want to change back."


	19. Chapter 19 - A Cat for Life

Marinette stared at Chat for a long moment, not disgusted but rather confused. "You _don't_ want to change back?"

Chat nodded. "I know. It sounds weird. I probably sound like I'm crazy, but..."

His eyes drifted back to her hand. He lovingly stroked the back of it with his thumb. "I mean, all this time - all these _years_ \- I thought that it was this _form_ that was making me miserable; that it was something I _had_ that was causing it."

He knelt up, meeting Marinette's gaze, then placed his free hand against her cheek. "But it wasn't what I _had._ It's what I _didn't_ have; what I was missing. It was because I was without _you._ I didn't love myself until you came along."

Marinette felt her heart swell with emotion. "C-chat..."

"It's true," he said softly. "Being like this taught me so much and I didn't even realize it."

He leaned forward, Marinette blushing even before he placed a kiss on her cheek. She went stiff, Chat giggling as she frantically drew her hand away from his to touch where he'd kissed.

Her cheek was still tingling.

She looked up at Chat, who somehow looked both fond and smug at the same time. She smiled warmly, grabbing the edges of Chat's jacket and pulling him forward. She kissed his cheek in return.

Chat purred, but didn't make any attempts to stop it this time. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Marinette, lifting her back up. She didn't even flinch, relaxing against him.

He continued, "So, I don't want to change back. I like who I am. I like being Chat. Adrien was the one took orders from his father, but Chat was the one who got away. Chat was the one who finally met his lady. Chat was the one who stopped caring about what petty people thought of him and realized what was really important."

She raised her head up to him and he took the opportunity to nuzzle her.

" _You._ Everyone who loves you and who you love," he finished.

Marinette brought a hand to his face, brushing her thumb along the fur of his cheek. "That means _you're_ important too, kitty."

"Of course," he agreed with a smile. He tried to glance down at the hand stroking his cheek, then chuckled. "Plus, I feel like you'd miss this if I changed back."

Marinette flushed, bringing her hand back and averting her gaze. "Ah—maybe a little."

Chat laughed, holding her with one arm so he could take her hand and place it back on his cheek. "So you're okay with this then? You don't mind if I stay as Chat forever?"

Marinette rolled her eyes, smiling. "Of course I don't. I love you no matter what."

"Then…" Chat reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling its contents out. When he opened his hand, his mother's earrings were in his palm. "Maybe you'll love these too?"

Marinette gasped. "Earrings?"

"They were my mother's. She wanted you to have them," Chat explained, knowing Marinette would understand.

She stared at him, clearly surprised by the gesture. Then, she smiled, placing her hand over the earrings. "I'll put them on as soon as we're home."

He nodded, satisfied, but paused. "Although…" He glanced back in the direction of the castle. "Now that I've decided on staying as Chat…"

* * *

When Chat returned to the castle with Marinette, he was sure Wayzz was still hard at work trying to work on a way to reverse the curse. Chat thought of all the time Wayzz had wasted away and felt bad for it, but he knew that could all end now.

"Wayzz?" Chat called, knocking on the door to Wayzz's room.

"Ah, yes?" Wayzz called back, sounding startled but not annoyed. "Come in!"

Chat entered silently, Marinette at his side. As Chat had expected, Wayzz had a crazy amount of books scattered amongst the room.

"What do you need?" Wayzz asked politely despite being focused on one of the books.

Chat cast a glance at Marinette. She gave him a nod.

Chat walked up, taking the book from the now-confused Wayzz and closing it. "I want you to stop worrying about this whole curse thing."

"W-what?" Wayzz gasped, shocked. "Chat, if it's about the time it's taken, I'm sure that—"

Chat raised a hand, signaling Wayzz to stop. "It's not like that."

Wayzz's posture relaxed. "It's not?"

"I decided that I'm happy with who I am, and Marinette's fine with it too," Chat explained. "I know I can't give you back all the time you spent so far though, and I'm sorry for that."

"Wha—no! Don't be sorry!" Wayzz shook his head. "We all worked hard for you because you deserved it; because we were— _are_ —your friends!"

Chat smiled. "Thanks."

"I mean it!" Wayzz insisted. "I wouldn't have spent so much time on trying to get you a cure if I didn't think you deserved it."

He paused. "But… I'm glad you're happy with who you are now. I don't think my time was wasted even though you don't want a cure anymore."

"And hey," Chat began with a knowing look. "Now you have free time, you can go sit in on Nooroo's music sessions."

Wayzz's mouth dropped open, letting out a silent 'oh'. He glanced around the room, then casually clapped his paws together, the books cleaning themselves up instantly.

"A-ah. Yes. I suppose I can." He flew past the two and out of the room, likely off to see Nooroo.

Marinette smiled at Chat. "Do you feel better?"

Chat sighed in relief. " _Much._ That's a huge weight off my chest."

Marinette nodded, satisfied. "Then there's only one more thing to figure out."

Chat knew exactly what she was talking about. As she took his hand, he let her lead him back into the hallway, then down the stairs and over to the couch.

"So..." Marinette began, sitting down. "What were you thinking about doing... you know, for the future?"

Chat sat down as well. He rested his arms on the top of the couch, leaning back to relax. "Hm."

Marinette slid closer, encouraging Chat to wrap an arm around her. He smiled. "I definitely want to stay with you officially. I'll still visit the kwami on the weekend - probably my mother too - and I'm sure they'll come visit us sometimes, but I think it's about time I really settled down."

She nodded. "My parents would love having you."

"Maybe I could even help out?" Chat suggested. He chuckled. "Not at the front of the bakery of course, but I can help clean up at the end of the day?"

"And you're prepared to have to come up with puns to challenge Papa with every day?" she asked playfully.

He smirked. "Of course. I'm _offended_ that you'd even ask."

Marinette snorted. "Alright then, kitty. I'll make a note to design some work clothes for you."

"Why thank you, Princess," Chat hummed.

"And Plagg?" she questioned. "I'm sure he's been missing you and Tikki."

"Even if he won't admit it," Chat added with an amused smile. "I think everyone else is happy here, but I might ask him to come with us if that's okay with your parents."

" _Please,_ " Marinette scoffed. "They'll be happy to have someone love their cheesy food so much."

Chat nodded, then placed a hand to his chin, trying to think. "...Is that it?"

"Think so," Marinette replied. "But, now that you're like this for good, do you want to sneak back with Trixx like usual?"

"Marinette, I am a _professional_ cat beast now," he boasted. "I don't need a kwami to sneak around confidently anymore."

She smiled. It pleased her to see him so proud of his form.

He held a hand out, Marinette taking it as they both stood back up together. Just as they went to leave, however, Tikki called out for them.

"Marinette! Chat!"

They stopped in their tracks, watching Tikki fly up to them, seeming unusually excited.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left," she said, almost out of breath.

Marinette noted that there seemed to be something behind her of a similar size. "What's wrong, Tikki?"

Tikki grinned. "There's someone I think you should meet."

She floated off to the side, revealing a kwami they'd never seen before. Her coat was a snowy white and the spots, tail, and ears were reminiscent of a snow leopard. Her eyes were a gentle teal.

Chat's ears perked. "O-oh! Hello. I've never seen you before. Are you new?"

The kwami nodded. "I am. It's an honor to meet you both," she said, holding out her paws for what seemed like a handshake. Her voice was soft, but direct.

Marinette giggled, but reached a hand out anyway. "Honor? That's a bit of a stretch, isn't..."

Her voice trailed off as she noticed the soft glow the kwami was giving off, which only became stronger as Marinette's hand grew closer. Chat said nothing, but brought his hand close as well. The kwami glowed brighter.

Tikki looked on fondly, confirming what they were already wondering, "She's your kwami. We found her while you two were away."

Chat was speechless. So, he and Marinette... just like Tom and Sabine...

They glanced at each other, making a wordless decision, then smiled back at their kwami.

"Would you like to come with us too?" Marinette asked. "I'm sure we can make room for you."

The kwami beamed, nodding happily before taking her place on Marinette's shoulder. Tikki laid down on the opposite one.

Chat gave the white kwami a light pat on her head. "That makes two." He glanced up the stairs, feigning impatience. "...Come on, we should go."

"What?" Marinette blinked. "But Plagg—"

Chat nudged her gently towards the door. "Shh, trust me."

As if on cue, a blur of black darted out from the hallways upstairs. "Wait!"

Chat stopped, gazing at Plagg in amusement. Plagg halted in front of them, opening his mouth as if to say something important, but nothing came out.

He slumped, pouting as his expression became decidedly stubborn. He huffed, perching spontaneously on top of Marinette's head. "I want you to know that I'm only doing this for the cheese."

Chat shot Marinette a knowing look. She gave one right back. He grinned. "Marinette, is that how you ask someone to join you?"

She hummed innocently. "I don't think so."

Plagg glared at Chat through the corner of his vision. He paused, then breathed up. " _Cheese_ take me with you."

Chat snorted, breaking into a small fit of laughter. Marinette rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop smiling.

"Close enough."

* * *

Chat looked ahead as he walked alongside Marinette, noting that they were getting close to the village. He then glanced down to the new kwami, who seemed content laying on Marinette's shoulder.

"So, do you have a name?" he asked.

The kwami tilted her head. " _Technically,_ yes, I already have something to call myself, but…" She smiled. "Since it's so rare for kwami to meet with their creators, I'd like you two to name me, if that's okay?"

Marinette placed a hand to her cheek, trying to think. "I think it's fine. It's just something we'll have to think about."

Chat nodded in agreement. "Can't rush giving a good name to a good kwami."

Just as they were about reach the village itself, Chat froze, suddenly alert. His ears had perked upwards and his nose was twitching.

Marinette glanced over, as if sensing something was wrong, then stopped walking. "Chat?"

Chat's expression turned to unamusement. He glared straight ahead. "Come on out! I know you're there!"

After a moment, Chloe stepped out from behind one of the trees, arms crossed. "So, _this_ is your cat, huh, Marinette?"

Marinette glared. "Sorry to disappoint you. He's not dead like you wanted."

"Oh, I'm not disappointed," Chloe said. "I have dozens of hunters who'll certainly do the job that you'll never be able to prove came from me. The only reason I got that _ethical_ one—" She spat out the word like it disgusted her. "—is because he was close by and I wanted the job done fast."

Marinette knew that Chloe was awful, but she couldn't believe that Chloe would say such things, especially in front of the one she'd just tried to essentially _murder._

She glanced up at Chat, who had an emotion she couldn't place. She tried to step forward to challenge Chloe, but Chat grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"Chat—" She turned to him, noting that he'd crouched down to her level. Suddenly, his emotions were clear. His gaze was firm, and she'd never seen him look so disappointed before.

"Let me protect _you_ for once," he said resolutely, bringing a hand up to her cheek. "Besides, princesses don't deal with _trash._ "

He stood up to his full height, stepping towards Chloe. She seemed foolishly unaffected by Chat approaching her.

"Oh no," she said, feigning fear. "Did I make the big bad kitty upse—"

In a swift motion, Chat grabbed Chloe by her jacket. She let out a shrill shriek as he lifted her effortlessly up to his face.

"R-release me!" she demanded, her professional facade having faded. "Do you know who I am? My father—"

"I know _plenty_ about who you are," Chat interrupted. "You're a coward who was spoiled rotten even as a child. You never improved and you resort to tactics like what you did today just because you know that there are people out there better than you. You think all that money you have makes you better and it _doesn't,_ but you use it as a tool to scare others into doing what you want."

She'd largely become silent, so Chat continued, " _You_ are going to leave Marinette and me _alone._ You won't bother us, you won't mock her anymore, and you _definitely_ won't be sending anyone after me. If you think that I can't lay a hand on you without getting in trouble, then I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't _need_ to lay a hand on you to teach you a lesson."

He pulled her closer, being sure that she was staring right into his glowing green eyes. "Is that clear, _Chlo'?_ "

At the nickname, Chloe's eyes went wide with a sort of realizational horror. Any squirming she'd been doing had ceased and all she could do was stare into Chat's eyes.

"...A-adrikins?"

Chat dropped her, turning his back on her like she'd unknowingly done to him when she sent that hunter. He walked off. "Let's go, Marinette."

Marinette nodded quietly, only giving a passing glance to the shell-shocked Chloe before following after Chat.

The silence was thick. None of the kwami chose to say anything, even Plagg.

Marinette glanced over her shoulder, waiting for Chloe to be at a distance where she couldn't hear them anymore, then spoke up, "I know that wasn't easy."

Chat shook his head. "It was easier than I thought. I couldn't let her push both of us around, and just because I knew her when we were kids doesn't change what she is now." He sighed. "Plus, her as a child wasn't much different."

Marinette nodded in understanding. "...I'm proud of you though."

He smiled at her, his sudden weariness fading. "I'm glad, Princess. I love you."

She smiled wholeheartedly back at him. "I love you too."


	20. Chapter 20 - Love and Peace (Epilogue)

Marinette loved the warm feeling of morning sunlight as she helped her parents get ready for the day. The smell of fresh bread and pastries was wafting around the room like it was a windy day. Even though she was tired—a fact made visually obvious by her hair not even being put up yet—she had enough energy to take on the smaller tasks.

She stopped checking one of the shelves to watch Tom and Sabine getting ready themselves. Tikki was eagerly helping them along while Plagg was assisting in... his own way, as was the standard for Plagg.

Marinette supposed that she should find her life weird at this point, but honestly? She'd gotten used to it and definitely learned to adore it.

Tom and Sabine had been very welcoming to Plagg, especially given his refined taste in cheese. He was perfect for taste-testing new things they made that involved any sort of cheese. Although, he was occasionally caught playing with spare strands of dough and his embarrassment when called out on it was something Marinette wished she could frame.

Tikki also had her own little job, using her kwami magic to make ingredients when a little extra was needed. It wore her out when she overdid it, but Tom made sure to treat her when the day was done. Plus, her smaller size made it easier for her to spot imperfections when decorating.

"Marinette," Sabine called, turning away from a bowl of dough. "Ask Chat what he wants for breakfast. I'm going to start on it in five minutes."

Marinette nodded, quickly finishing up on checking the shelf before heading up the stairs to her room.

She slowly opened the door, peeking inside. "Chat? What do you—"

She gasped softly, covering her mouth as she noticed Chat still sleeping on her bed. She'd been so sure he'd be awakened by the noise downstairs, but he still slept away.

Cautiously, she peeked over to a small box sitting on the table. Their kwami—they'd decided on the name 'Heera'—was resting there, bundled up in warm fabrics and sleeping the day away as well.

Marinette smiled. It might've been a little bit satisfying that she wasn't the last one up.

She walked quietly over to Chat and sat on the edge of the bed. He was curled up, though he didn't have much of a choice in that matter given that the bed had certainly not been built for someone of his size. Still, they'd made it work.

Marinette reached out, gliding her fingers along Chat's face and smoothing out his fur. His breathing was so soft and quiet that she could hardly hear it. She leaned over, placing a small kiss on his forehead.

"Chat?"

His ear twitched. He stirred, nuzzling his pillow for an extra moment before his eyes fluttered open.

He looked up at her, smiling. "You interrupted my catnap, Princess."

"Well, the queen wanted me to ask you what you wanted for breakfast," she replied with amusement. Somehow, she'd gotten used to the lame puns and jokes. "She's gonna start cooking in five minutes."

He hummed, then slowly pushed himself up. He raised his arms, stretching, then pulled an unexpecting Marinette onto his lap.

He smirked. "That means we have five minutes to ourselves."

Marinette flushed. "Three minutes actually," she corrected. "It'll take you at least two to get into your work clothes."

"You—" He cut himself off mid-sentence, yawning. "—underestimate me."

"Mhm," Marinette hummed disbelievingly, a playful smile on her face as she lightly toyed with the pajama shirt she'd made him.

Chat allowed it, looking as if he was still trying to wake up. He clearly wasn't ready to face the world yet and probably would've gone back to bed had Marinette not been there.

Marinette noted him watching her as she smoothed his shirt out and adjusted the buttons. "What?"

He chuckled. "You've got the cutest case of bedhead."

"W-what?" Marinette went to fix it, but Chat stopped her.

" _Please._ This is what my claws were made for," he said, his fingers lovingly combing through her hair.

Marinette went to retort with something cheeky, but all words were lost at the feeling of Chat's claws against her scalp. She couldn't deny that it felt really nice, so she let him do as he wished.

He leaned in, seemingly to get a closer look at her hair. Marinette averted her gaze, but raised a hand to comb out his fur in return.

"So," Chat began, a slight purr in his voice, "have you gotten any better at magic?"

"A little," she replied. "Ju helps me every now and then. Haven't caused an explosion yet, so that's good."

He chuckled. "I knew you'd be a natural."

"Chaaaat," she whined, flushing.

"What? It's true."

"You're biased."

"Yes, but I'm also right."

Marinette tried to glare at him, but her smile gave her away. She turned her attention to her sewing table, biting her bottom lip as she debated with herself.

She glanced back at him and pulled her hand away from his fur. "Actually, speaking of magic..."

Chat raised a brow, looking interested even if a bit disappointed that she stopped petting him. "Hm?"

Marinette reached up, grabbing his hand gently. She slid off the bed, leading Chat alongside her as she walked over to the table.

She let go of his hand, then pulled open a tiny drawer on her sewing table. A tiny box rested inside.

Marinette took the box in her hands. Chat seemed obviously curious, but was keeping a polite distance.

She opened the box, a white ring inside. "This isn't all made with magic, but it's formed with it. I-I know it's plain, but I figured, you know, if we can't get married, then at least—"

She stiffened as Chat's hands clamped shut around hers. He was grinning and his eyes were shimmering.

He shuddered. "H-heh, I love it, but you're gonna make me cry again."

He took the ring and slid it onto the ring finger of his right hand. He felt along the subtle grooves in the ring with his other hand, admiring her work.

Marinette flushed, slightly embarrassed by his eagerness. Then, she noticed that he was oddly-silent all of a sudden as he stared at her.

"...Chat?"

He glanced at the ring, then back to her. He knelt down to her level, then placed his hands on her shoulders.

His expression was unusually focused. "M-marinette, may I kiss you?"

"H-huh?" Marinette squeaked, her face somehow turning even redder than before. Yet, she didn't feel at all put off by the request. In fact, she might've been thinking about it herself for a long while.

She looked downwards, placing the box on the table and occupying her hands with Chat's shirt once again. "W-well…"

She peeked back up at him, then nodded.

He leaned forward, gliding his hand to rest on the side of her face. "Are you sure?"

Marinette breathed, then nodded again, this time smiling. "Pawsitive, kitty."

Chat covered his mouth, stifling a laugh. He brought his other hand to the remaining side of Marinette's face, his thumb stroking one of her ladybug earrings. "You're perfect, you know that?"

She hummed appreciatively, gripping Chat's shirt and pulling him closer. "So are you."

They could both smell breakfast being cooked downstairs, but it went ignored as they leaned into each other. Marinette could even hear her own heartbeat. There was a sense of inexperience—a hesitation only in getting the tilt of their heads right—but their lips finally met and their eyes closed.

Marinette let out a soft sigh, bringing her arms up to stroke the thick fur at the sides of Chat's neck. She could hear the low rumble of his purring as he ran one of his hands down her shoulder and to her side. He stroked along her back while his other hand went to the back of her head, his fingers once again combing through her hair.

Marinette was sure she'd be purring too if she was part-cat. She held the kiss, her hands moving behind Chat as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer, receiving a small mewl of surprise in return.

She moaned as Chat massaged her back gently, though any tenseness had honestly faded long ago. Chat was so gentle, but not in a way that made her feel fragile. His touches were still firm, every movement seeming as if he'd planned them.

The kiss itself may not have been perfect—neither of them honestly knew what to do to progress with it—but everything else _easily_ made up for it.

After what felt like too long for the world around them and yet not long enough for each other, they pulled away, though still remaining close.

Marinette took a moment to breathe, then giggled, noting how red Chat's face was. She was certain that she was just as bad.

Chat smiled, then looked around the room absentmindedly. "So, how many minutes was that?"

She snorted. "Probably too long."

As if confirming that, Sabine suddenly called from downstairs. "Chat? Marinette? Is everything alright?"

Marinette turned towards the door. "Yeah, everything's fine!"

She glanced back at Chat. They leaned into each other once more, letting their foreheads touch.

Chat hummed. "I'm gonna get dressed. You wanna get Heera up?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. They passed each other, Marinette purposefully not looking in Chat's direction to give him some privacy.

She went over to the tiny box that Heera was sleeping in, then lightly prodded the kwami. "Heera, it's morning."

Heera stirred, needing a minute to roll around in bed before finally waking up. She peeked up at Marinette with tired eyes. "Mm?"

Marinette held out a hand. "Maman's making breakfast. You wanna join us?"

Heera's tiny ears perked. She fumbled out of her makeshift sheets and flew out onto Marinette's hand.

Marinette smiled, placing Heera onto her shoulder. She was about to head downstairs, only to be stopped and surprised as Chat swept her off her feet.

He grinned, holding her securely in his arms. "You were probably working too hard down there. I'll have to carry you for the rest of the day."

"Oh?" Marinette giggled, stroking the fur on his chest that wasn't covered by his shirt. "Is that your excuse, kitty?"

Chat smiled, leaning in to give her a small kiss on the lips. "Does that answer your question?"

She hummed appreciatively in reply, laying against his chest as Heera climbed onto his shoulder.

The three then went down for breakfast. In a way, they were their own little family, brought together by strange yet lucky coincidences.

Marinette didn't need her magic to know that they'd continue to be happy just the way they were.


End file.
